Fairy May Cry - Devil's Retribution

by Iron117Prime

After seven years, Dante and the rest of Fairy Tail have returned from Tenrou Island. So much has changed since their absence; a guild called Sabertooth is now at the top spot, the forces of the Underworld are starting to become more active, and what's this new religious movement called the Order of the Sword? Times might have changed, but the insanity of Fairy Tail has not.

8. The Order of the Sword

Hi everyone, thanks again for your patience. With this chapter, the action finally kicks off with the "Order of the Sword" arc. I know I've said this before about the anime "Key of the Starry Skies" arc being mostly comedic, including the battles, but like I've said things are going to change quite a bit to make this arc that much more serious. Anyways, I'm glad that we're finally getting things underway, and with all that being said, let's get started.

The Order of the Sword

A giant octopus-like creature hovered toward the mainland, with two occupants riding on top of the creature's head. One was a tall, elderly, yet muscular man who carried a thick white staff with a crescent-moon shaped edged at the end. The other was a familiar soldier from the Order of the Sword.

"Your pet seems rather restless, Byro." Credo commented upon hearing the anticipated growls of the giant octopus they rode on.

"Kanaloa can sense it, as can I." The man named Byro replied. "The holy war approaches. Though I may not be officially a member of the Order of the Sword, through the joining of your organization and Zentopia, I will see to it that our shared mission is accomplished, as is the wish of the Archbishop."

"And of his Holiness." Credo added. "Our time approaches, and all who stand against us shall be crushed."

"Are you certain your soldiers are up to the task?" Byro asked. "They may be of your Order, but they all seem to carry emotional and personality quirks that may make this task difficult."

"Each of them has issues, I admit." Credo replied. "But they are also strong, and I wouldn't have sent them ahead if they weren't capable. Once it's all done, we'll have one of the pieces, and we may also gain an understanding of the strength of a potential enemy that may try to interfere, one individual in particular that is of interest to his Holiness." Credo glanced behind to show that he and Byro weren't alone.

Hovering close behind the flying octopus named Kanaloa in the air were a small group of what appeared to be white armored soldiers. They all were decorated with similar white armor that appeared to cover their whole bodies, along with white metallic wings on their backs that seemed to hide some kind of jetpacks that enabled flight. They all had emotionless helmets with curved horns on the sides; most of them had glowing blue eyes and carried spears, but two had glowing red eyes and carried swords instead.

---

Fairy Tail guildhall

Happy, Carla, and Panther-Lily stood outside their guildhall as they came into contact with a quartet of visitors, one of whom Lily seemed to recognize. "Coco?! But that's impossible!"

"Hold on Lily, you don't think she could have actually come to this world, do you?" Carla questioned.

"Oh, I remember! Coco's the girl who runs really fast that we met in Edolas!" Happy recalled. "I know! She must have traveled here to Earthland while we were stuck on Tenrou Island!"

"But Mystogen had destroyed the Anima and sought to it that crossing between Earthland and Edolas would be impossible." Carla put in. "Besides, she doesn't look that much older."

Lily walked up and addressed the girl in question. "Why are you here, Coco? Is there trouble?"

"Hey Coco, you know these talking furballs?" Nero asked her.

"Hell no! I've never met them before, so they can just shut up!" Coco stated in a rather rude tone, completely opposite of the sweet demeanor of the Coco from Edolas.

"Are you serious?!" Lily questioned.

Happy gasped. "Oh no! She has amnesia!"

"I doubt that." Carla said. "However,… they could be…" She seemed to come up with an idea as she got a good look at most of the group before glancing at Nero. 'But who is this man? And… why does he look so much like Dante?'

However, everyone turned around to see others from Fairy Tail, consisting of Dante, Natsu, Lucy, Lisanna, Wendy, Modeus, Patty, Elfman, Mira, Trish, Levy, Macao, Romeo, Wakaba, Laki, Max, and Kinana walking toward their guildhall.

"Still can't believe I missed out on beating down Laxus!" Natsu grumped. "I'll get em next time!"

"Sorry, but I already call dibs on him next time." Dante replied.

"I wonder how Gajeel would have fared against him." Wendy wondered.

"Probably wouldn't have lasted long since he ran away like a wussy wimp." Patty answered.

"Yeah, a real man never runs from a fight." Elfman groaned.

Modeus was among the first to take notice of their mysterious guests. "It would seem we have visitors."

"Oh, customers!" Mira seemed pleased; however, Trish got a good look at the girl who bared a resemblance to Coco.

"Hold on a sec… isn't that the same kid from Edolas?" The lightning she-demon questioned.

"Yeah… wasn't her name Coffee or something?" Dante tried to recall.

"I doubt that was it." Trish said with an annoyed sweatdrop on her head.

"Coco?!" Lucy also recognized her. "Long time no see. But how did you get to Earthland from Edolas?!"

"Wow, seems everyone knows your name." Nero said to Coco with a slight crack.

"Shut up Nero, you know I don't know any of these guys!" She exclaimed in an irritated tone.

"Nero?" Wendy voiced aloud.

"Hold on… doesn't that guy look a lot like Dante?" Patty asked upon seeing Nero's face. "Is that his brother you told me about?"

"No, that's Vergil. This guy is someone else, but… he does look like them." Romeo replied, even Wendy saw a resemblance and even noticed something from whiffing the air.

'What's up with his smell?' The Sky Dragon Slayer thought as Dante, Modeus, and Trish seemed to eye Nero in particular, each of them getting an odd feeling from him.

The older woman in green gave something of a mocking chuckle. "Sugarboy, these tools tots think we're like old chums of theirs."

"Hmm, mmm." The man named Sugarboy gave an Elvis-like whistle. "But I have to say, that sounds like their problem, Mary Hughes."

"Let's finish this up before they invite us to stay for dinner." Coco added.

"Mary Hughes?!" Modeus and Natsu both questioned at the same time.

"Sugarboy?!" Lucy and Dante also questioned simultaneously.

"Those two idiots we fought in that crazy amusement park?" Dante recalled the battle in E-Land against not only Hughes and Sugarboy, but also Nelo Angelo.

"Now that you mention it, there is a resemblance." Even Lisanna took notice.

"What's with the lady clothes, pervert!?" Natsu comically pointed toward Mary Hughes. "Are you a transvestite now or something?!"

This actually caused Nero to chuckle, while Mary Hughes looked more than a little annoyed. "I just met him and I wanna kill him."

"Something's not right…" Modeus then spoke up. "Tell me, do the names Faust or Nelo Angelo mean anything to you?"

"Huh? The hell are you talking about?" Nero questioned.

"What of Code ETD or the Dorma Anim, do those ring any bells?" Modeus continued questioned.

"Hey, we don't know what you're talking about, so just back off!" Coco exclaimed.

"It's not them." Modeus deduced, catching everyone's attention. "These people are not the same ones we met in Edolas."

Lisanna's eyes widened in realization. "That's right… you guys remember. Back in Edolas, most of the people who lived there were like twins of the people who lived here in Earthland!"

"Mary for Lady, Erza Knightwalker, Lucy Ashley, Natsu Dragion, heck even that whack job King was Gramp's evil twin." Dante recalled. He also remembered the Edolas counterpart to his mother but choose not to bring that up.

"Of course." Even Carla came to the same realization. "Following that logic, it would make sense that those in Edolas would also have counterparts here in Earthland."

"The duplicate versions of Hughes, Sugarboy, and Coco. Now it makes sense." Lily said.

"So, who's this Nero guy?" Happy asked. "Is he the counterpart to Nelo Angelo? I mean their names sound alike."

"Nelo Angelo was a demon sent by Mundus." Carla reminded the blue Exceed. "He wasn't from Earthland or Edolas, so he doesn't have a counterpart." But that didn't shake the odd feeling she felt around him. 'Still though, just who is he? And why does he feel so familiar?'

"Look, if you folks aren't here to hire us…" Max began.

"Then you can march right back where you came from." Laki told the quartet.

"Sorry, but we got business here and we're not leaving till it's done." Nero replied.

"You sure talk big for someone who's got a broken arm, buddy!" Natsu pointed out as he saw Nero's bandaged arm in a sling, causing Nero to look more than a little irritated.

Mary Hughes stifled a chuckle as Sugarboy spoke. "We ain't taking orders from slobs with no style darling."

"I'm only saying this once, so listen." Mary Hughes began. "I demand you give me Lucy Heartfilia, like now!"

Dante, Trish, Natsu, and Lisanna didn't like the way she spoke in regard to Lucy, while Lucy herself looked quite shocked.

"How forward…" Michelle commented. "My heart skipped a beat."

"Oh, wow. I've never seen a real proposal in person." Happy teased.

"It's not like that!" Lucy exclaimed with a red face.

"Shut it, furball!" Mary Hughes exclaimed in annoyance.

"So, that's Lucy?" Nero noticed the blonde girl with the pigtails before taking out a photograph of Lucy. "Yeah, that's her."

"Are you sure?" Coco peaked over his shoulder. "This picture is from seven years ago, doesn't look like she's aged a day. What about that blonde in the leather or that other one in the pink dress? They could be Lucy."

"Nope, that's her alright." Nero replied. "Credo said that she didn't age for seven years for some reason."

"What's going on here?" Levy whispered to Lucy as Dante, Trish, and Lisanna stepped closer toward her, almost protectively.

"Why are these rude people looking for you?" Michelle also whispered.

"Believe me, I wish I knew why." Lucy whispered back.

"You got some guts, showing up out of the blue and disrespecting us like this." Wakaba stated as he and Macao stepped forward.

"I'm the master of this guild, and I don't take kindly to folks who 'demand' that I hand over one of my members without a proper explanation." Macao commented with a glare.

"Relax, we're not here to pick a fight." Nero raised his unbandaged arm up, showing he meant no ill intent.

"The hell Nero?!" Mary Hughes questioned. "Like tots are you doing?!"

"Negotiating, what else?" Nero replied irritably to his comrade.

"We don't need to negotiate these guys, they're just hazbins from a lowly guild." Coco put in.

"Who are you calling a hazbin?!" Natsu exclaimed in comic anger.

"Credo didn't say we had to fight them." Nero turned back around to his cohorts. "I wanna avoid a hassle if we can."

"What hassle? We can tots take these guys." Mary stated.

"You wanna pick another fight with me, Mary? After how our last showdown ended?" Nero told her, causing Mary to growl.

"Kyrie wasn't too happy about you guys fighting either. So, you might wanna simmer down, baby." Sugarboy told Mary to try and calm her down, though it didn't seem to work.

"Doesn't look like these guys really get along, do they?" Patty voiced aloud.

Kinana however got a good look at the emblem on Nero's jacket. The emblem was that of a sword pointing downward, with a pair of curved horns at the top on the handle; the right side of the handle also seemed to expand and curve outward like an axe-blade, while the left side appeared to be like an angel's wing that stretched from the top all the way to the bottom. She seemed to recognize it.

"Excuse me, are you from the Order of the Sword?" That got everyone's attention.

"Order of the Sword?" Wendy voiced aloud.

"You mean those guys that worship Sparda?" Natsu also voiced aloud.

"Yes… that's they're symbol!" Even Mira recognized it.

"Yeah, I'm from the Order." Nero nodded. "These guys here too." He pointed backward to his allies as they each showed the Order's emblem somewhere on their person. Coco had hers on the brooch of her neckless, Sugarboy's was on the back of his jacket, and Mary Hughes had hers on the side of her top.

"So, are they representatives of the Order?" Lily asked.

"I haven't the slightest." Carla replied. "But what would they want with Lucy?"

"Hey!" Happy flew over them as he hovered closer toward Dante. "If you are guys worship Sparda, then you should know this guy…"

"Is a Devil Hunter who's heard a lot about your group." Dante interrupted as he pulled Happy down by his tail. He then glanced back toward Happy, Patty, and Wendy specifically. "Ixnay on my adde." He spoke to them in Pig Latin "Least till we found out what these guys are up to."

"So, what does a group like yours want with Lucy?" Lisanna asked, trying to establish dialogue to negotiate peacefully.

"We're not here to recruit or convert her or anything like that, so don't worry." Nero replied. "She just has something we need. Let's just talk it over and we can be out of your hair in five minutes at most."

"This 'something' you're talking about… taking a wild guess, but it wouldn't happen to resemble a clock hand, would it?" Trish asked, which seemed to get Nero's attention, giving him a serious expression, same with Coco and Sugarboy, while Mary Hughes looked more and more impatient.

"We'll take that as a 'yes'." Dante said. "What do you want with this thing anyway?"

"What's it matter to you?" Nero asked.

"We've done some research, and this item could be incredibly dangerous." Levy answered.

"If you know something about that we don't, maybe we can talk it over and figure out what to do with it together." Mira offered.

"Yeah, let's sit down and talk like real men." Elfman added.

"Sorry, but we got orders to deliver that thing to his holiness." Coco said in a somewhat mocking tone. "The Order doesn't have time to sit with lowly guild wizards like you."

"Coco!" Nero growled slightly, telling her to back off, which she did upon seeing his glare.

"At the very least, tell us what it is if you know about it." Macao said. "Otherwise, we're not too keen on handing over a possible weapon of mass destruction just like that."

"You want my honest opinion? I don't know what it is, none of these guys do either." Nero pointed out. "We just got orders." He gave a small sigh upon seeing the rest of Fairy Tail glare at him, while Lucy looked with curiosity and caution. "But, maybe we can call our boss and see if we can compare notes. Like I said, I'd rather avoid a hassle."

Mary Hughes then gave an annoyed yell. "Ugh! Why are we talking this out with these losers?! Let's just take the damn thing!" She pulled out a wand-like object that also resembled a twisted wooden hand. Suddenly, Lucy felt an invisible force grab her and pull her directly toward Mary Hughes, causing her to accidentally drop the case carrying the aforementioned item, which Michelle quickly grabbed.

"Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed as Dante and Trish were the first to draw their pistols while everyone else readied their respective magic.

"Hughes! You idiot! I was talking!" Nero scolded as Mary Hughes wrapped her free arm around Lucy.

"Yeah, well this is tots easier! Right Sugarboy!?" She said almost sadistically toward her partner, who seemed eager for some action as well.

"Sorry folks, nothing personal." Sugarboy pulled out a wooden object resembling a microphone and began to sing into it. But the second he started singing, his clothes began to bulge as a green and slimly-like substance emerged from his clothes.

"What the…?!" Levy exclaimed as most of the group looked more than a little grossed out.

"It's so gross!" Patty stuck her tongue out in disgust.

"Looks like green shit." Trish felt like she was gonna puke.

"Everyone, get back!" Modeus ordered as the substance exploded outward, threatening to overwhelm most of the group as they tried to run back and get some distance from the ever-expanding substance.

"What is this stuff?!" Max questioned.

"Slime!?" Laki also questioned.

Elfman was the first to try and punch his way through the substance, only for his hand to get stuck. "What the…?! Stupid slime! Why don't you fight me like a real man!?" Suddenly, the slime began to engulf him completely.

"Elfman!" Mira and Lisanna both tried to run and help.

"No! Stay back! It'll grab you too!" Elfman shouted, but the slime stretched out at a much faster rate. Acting on instinct, Mira pushed Lisanna away while she herself got engulfed in the slime, and she wasn't the only one; Laki and Max were both stuck in it while everyone else had gotten away; including Happy, Carla, and Lily, the female Exceed holding onto Patty as they hovered in mid-air.

"Yummy! Wizards taste so, spicy!" Sugarboy sang.

"I can't move…" Mira struggled as she and her friends seemed unable to use their magic.

"Stop! What are you doing to them?!" Lucy cried out as Mary Hughes kept a firm grip on her.

"Relax, their fine. But I'd be more concerned with you right now, you spoiled brat." Mary smirked sadistically over her.

"Hands off my cousin!" Dante had already leapt above them to open fire with both his pistols on the person holding Lucy hostage, but Nero had already moved in-between them as he pulled out his own pistol, Blue Rose, and fired a series of bullets of his own to impact each of Dante's with expert precision. "So much for negotiating." He glared at Nero, who seemed more annoyed with Mary Hughes as well.

"Too late for regrets, but you are gonna take responsibility for this mess!" Nero told Mary Hughes before jumping up to engage Dante on the roof of the guildhall. Both of them stood on opposite ends with Dante pointing Ebony and Ivory, while Nero pointed Blue Rose.

Nero made the first move, shooting at Dante, who leapt over the gunshot, but Nero leapt up after him, wrapping his legs around Dante's chest. Dante tried to shoot Ebony, but Nero used his right leg to bat the pistol out of the way, forcing Dante to shoot with Ivory, which was deflected when Nero bit onto the gun to aim it away from his face. He locked his legs to bind Dante's arms before pointing Blue Rose toward his head, forcing Dante to duck and avoid the gun shot right before he kicked Nero off. Nero then landed on top of the scout tower as Dante drew Rebellion to try and bring it down on him, but Nero paired it with his gun, though the force knocked him off the tower and onto the ground before shooting at Dante as he fell, but Dante was able to block each bullet with precise strikes of his sword before trying to bring it down on Nero, who rolled out of the way as he landed.

As Dante looked toward Nero with a calculating expression, Nero put his gun away and drew his sword, Red Queen, before driving it in the ground. The second he did, he revved up the handle like a motorcycle, which even gave the signature sound as an internal engine lit the blade with fire. The two stared each other down before rushing to clash blades.

At the same time, Coco had rushed behind Macao and Wakaba and went on the attack straight for Macao, lashing out with a series of kicks, which Macao was able block with his arms. "Beating up kids isn't my style!" Macao exclaimed.

"Who the heck are you calling a kid?!" Coco questioned, before forcing to leap backwards and avoid the fists of pink smoke sent out by Wakaba.

"This ain't the time to get soft, Macao! These guys are the enemy!" Wakaba told him as they saw Coco standing on the vertical structure of the scout tower.

"Sorry old timer, but attacks like that can't hit me!" Coco mocked, only to get back to dodging as Romeo began to hurl a series of purple fireballs at her.

"Get back here!" Romeo called out as Coco continued to run and dodge each attack, giggling as she did.

"That all you got?" Coco continued to mock.

"Let me try! Sky Dragon Roar!" Wendy unleashed a breath attack where Coco was going to be, only for the girl to leap straight from the wall and avoid the attack.

"Nice try you brats, but I'm just too fast!" Coco smirked.

"Who said I was trying to hit you?" Wendy smirked back, much to Coco's confusion.

"Gotcha!" Lisanna shot out a pair of snake-arms, which managed to wrap and ensnare Coco and catch her off guard. "You can't dodge in mid-air, can you?" Lisanna.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Coco exclaimed as she was pulled down toward the ground.

"Solid Script: Fire!"

"Fire Dragon Roar!"

Levy and Natsu combined their respective fire attacks, with Trish adding on to it with a swing from the Sparda sword to send an electric wave at the growing mass of green slime, only for the substance to absorb all their attacks and receive no damage at all.

"What the heck?!" Natsu questioned.

"Did it just absorb our attack?!" Levy questioned.

Sugarboy gave another Elvis-whistle. "Yeah baby, my hound dogs love spicy food! So keep laying on the hot stuff there darlings!"

"Hound dogs…?! What?!" Trish questioned with perplexity, only for her to suddenly swing her sword at Natsu and Levy, which they could barley dodge.

"Trish, what the hell are you doing?!" Natsu questioned as he flipped to avoid another slice.

"It's not me! I can't control it!" Trish shouted as she tried to swing at Natsu again, who was still able to dodge it.

"Conducting Art: First Movement." Mary Hughes had her wand pointed directly at Trish, while still maintain a firm hold over Lucy. "Everyone who I point to with this wand, tots become my puppet. Even demons are my tools." She continued to control Trish, forcing her to attack Natsu.

"You didn't forget about me, did you?" Lucy told Mary Hughes as she shot her right leg over Mary's, grabbing onto her arm to pull her forward, tripping her over and enabling her to flip Mary Hughes over her, causing her to lose control of Trish as Mary Hughes looked up to Lucy in shock.

"What the…?! A spoiled brat like you knows how to fight?!" Mary Hughes questioned.

"This is what you get for underestimating Fairy Tail." Lucy told her as she pulled out her Celestial Whip, the Fleuve d'etoiles, and snapped it toward Mary Hughes, who flipped over it to avoid being snapped.

Sugarboy gave a chuckle as he continued to watch the fights around him, while also controlling his 'hound dogs' to try and trap everyone else who wasn't currently fighting. "For a bunch of fairies, they sure are spunky."

"I'd advise you to take Lucy's words to heart." Modeus said from behind, much to Sugarboy's shock as Modeus suddenly slashed at his back with Hunter's Moon.

"How'd you get behind me without my hound dogs knowing?!" Sugarboy questioned as he fell to the ground.

"You were so confident that your strange magic covered your blind spots, you let your arrogance get the better of you." Modeus told him.

With Sugarboy down, his 'hound dogs' began to recede; freeing Mira, Elfman, Max, and Laki, though they appeared mostly drained of their magic, they were still able to stand. The rest of the individuals from the Order of the Sword didn't seem to fare much better either as Trish assisted Lucy in attacking Mary Hughes, preventing her from using her wand, Lisanna kept a firm hold over the squirming Coco, and Dante continued to engage Nero in an epic sword clash.

"Wow, I can watch this all day!" Patty exclaimed with a smile and stars in her eyes as Carla continued to carry her in the air alongside her fellow Exceeds.

"Aye! Fairy Tail always knows how to turn a fight into a show!" Happy agreed.

"Don't let your guard down, it's not over yet." Lily advised them.

Dante swung Rebellion down toward Nero, who blocked and parried it with Red Queen. Even as Nero reeved up his sword again, Rebellion still continued to hold steady as Dante swung, blocked, and parried each strike Nero dealt him. Deciding to go on the offensive, Dante swung up, forcing Nero into the air before Dante jumped upward to slice down and knock Nero down, making him unsteady as he landed. Not giving him an opening, swung down hard, forcing Nero to block again, but the strength behind Dante's strike caused Nero to loosen his grip, allowing Dante to swing upward and knock Red Queen out of Nero's hands. Dante then thrusted Rebellion at him, forcing Nero to block it on instinct with his casted arm.

However, the second the tip of Rebellion touched and shattered the cast, a powerful shockwave erupted and shook the whole area, catching the attention of every present member of Fairy Tail or Order of the Sword. All of them, even Dante, looked in surprise at what they saw once Nero's cast was removed.

His arm wasn't that of a human. His palm, the last two digits of his clawed fingers, all glowed a bright blue, which connected downward from his palm and wrist to his elbow. The scales from the elbow up were blue at first before turning red at the back of his hand. Honestly, nobody could believe what they were seeing, not even those among the Order.

"Is that… a demon's arm….?" Mira voiced aloud.

"Nero….?" Coco looked to him with surprise and concern.

None were more surprised however, than Dante. "You got a trick up your sleeve."

Nero however said nothing as he threw his arm out to knock Dante back before reeling back a punch and throwing out his fist, while also sending out a large transparent fist made of demonic energy straight at Dante and sending him crashing into the stone on the other side of the area, surprising everyone even further

"Dante!" Lucy exclaimed in surprise.

"What in the heck…? Just who is this guy?!" Natsu questioned.

Mary Hughes took notice of how still everyone was, and quickly spotted Patty, whom Carla still held in the air and got an idea. She stuck out her wand and pointed it directly at Patty. Instantly, the magic took hold as Patty was pulled down from Carla's grip and straight toward Mary.

"No! Patty!" Carla shouted as Patty screamed before Mary grabbed her and wrapped her arm around the neck.

"I'm tots done playing games with you losers!" Mary Hughes exclaimed. "Give me the clock piece, or the brat here gets it!"

That took everyone by surprise, even her comrades in the Order. "Whoa! Marry!" Coco exclaimed.

"That came out of nowhere." Even Sugarboy was caught off guard while Nero just glared.

"That's a low blow taking hostages like that!" Wakaba stated.

"What kind of man grabs a little girl?!" Elfman scolded.

"Let her go! Now!" Lisanna demanded.

"After you tools give me that clock piece!" Mary demanded as she further tightened her grip on Patty. She then glared at Lucy. "Well? Hand it over!"

"Please… don't hurt her. She has nothing to do with this…!" Lucy tried to plead.

"Just hand over the stupid clock hand!" Mary Hughes continued to demand.

"She doesn't have it! None of them do!" They all looked toward the far side of the area, near the staircase that led away from the guildhall to see Michelle holding the wrapped clock piece in her hands. "I have it! And if you ever want to see it again, you'll let that poor girl go!"

"Michelle!" Lucy exclaimed as Trish looked more than a little shocked than the rest of their friends.

"I ain't gonna walk all the way over there with this baggage!" Mary called out.

"Who are you calling baggage, you bully?!" Patty scolded her, only for Mary to tighten her grip.

"Keep your mouth shut." May warned before shouting to Michelle "Hand it over before I…!" Suddenly, Nero appeared in front of Mary to punch her in the gut, forcing her to let go of Patty, much to the surprise of everyone present.

Patty looked up toward Nero with wide eyes as he motioned his head for her to beat it, which she did as she pulled herself up. "Thanks." Patty said before running away. Using this as her chance, Michelle began to make a run for it with the clock piece in hand.

"You want this so badly?! Then come and get it!" Michelle called out as she tried to make a run for it.

"Michelle! Wait!" Lucy tried to call to her, but Trish grabbed her by the wrist.

"Come on!" Trish stated as she enveloped herself and Lucy in her lightning before shooting off in the direction Michelle ran to quickly catch up to her.

"Oh no you don't!" Coco tried to run after them, only to back-flip and avoid a series of fire attacks and smoke magic from Natsu, Levy, Romeo, Wakaba, and Macao.

"Coco! Sugarboy! We're bailing!" Nero called to his comrades as he picked up Mary by her arm. Coco and Sugarboy both moved closer to Nero as the rest of Fairy Tail surrounded them. "Let's go." He told Sugarboy.

"Hmm, mmm. Exit, stage left!" Sugarboy sang into his wooden microphone again, calling out his slime magic again to propel all four of them over the guildhall and deep into the woods behind it.

"They're getting away!" Happy called out.

"Don't worry about them right now!" Carla told Happy. "Right now, we need to regroup!"

"Dante!" Everyone had gathered around as Wendy and Levy helped Dante stand up on his feet from the rocks he was smashed into. "Are you alright?" Wendy asked.

"Yeah… I'll be fine." Dante said as he got back up and rubbed his sore chin. "Kid hits like a freight train. So; Lucy, Trish, and Michelle ran off with the clock piece, huh?"

"Yes, it would appear so." Lily confirmed.

"They took me hostage. I'm sorry, I wish I could have helped!" Patty looked like she was about to cry.

"It wasn't your fault, Patty." Levy tried to assure her.

"That's right. A real man would never take a hostage!" Elfman stated.

"Right now, I'm more concerned about that Nero-kid." Macao said. "Who's strong enough to knock Dante silly?"

"It was that freaky arm of his." Wakaba added.

"Mira, didn't you say that was a demon's arm?" Lisanna asked her older sister.

"Yes. There was no mistaking it. He was definitely using demonic power." Mira confirmed.

"So, he's a demon?" Happy asked.

"I don't think so. Not completely." Dante shook his head.

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked.

"Well, I can think of two things." Dante began. "First, he lost his real arm and had a demon's arm sewn on as a replacement. Second, he's a hybrid."

That really got everyone's attention. "A hybrid?" Levy questioned. "As in a half-demon, like you?"

"Yeah… and judging by what I was feeling from him, that seems like the likeliest explanation." Dante concluded.

"That is quite a disturbing thought." Panther-Lily commented.

Suddenly, Natsu punched his fist into his palm to light up a series of sparks. "I don't care if that guy is part demon or part unicorn! He and his pals are hunting Lucy! No way I'm gonna let that happen!"

"Agreed." Modeus nodded. "First and foremost, we need to make sure our friends and that clock piece are safe. I can't imagine what the Order of the Sword desires from it, but based on how most of those people acted, I can't say for certain it's any good."

"Are we really sure about that?" Patty asked. "I mean, that Nero guy really seemed like he wanted to talk things over, and he did save me."

"Like I've said, we need to ensure our friends' safety first." Modeus repeated. "We'll talk to those people after."

"Alright, here's the plan." Dante began. "Natsu, Lisanna, Modeus, Wendy, Happy, Carla, and Lily; you guys are with me. We're going to find Lucy, Trish, and Michelle; and keeping an eye out for anyone else that might be part of the Order that might be around here. Everyone else stays here at the guildhall. If Gramps, Erza, or anyone else shows up, tell them what's going on."

Most of the group seemed to nod in understanding until Romeo spoke up. "Hang on, I want to come to! I can help fight those guys!"

"Romeo!" Macao tried to stop his son.

"I'm not a kid anymore, Dad!" Romeo stated before his father could give an argument. "I'm a Fairy Tail wizard just like the rest of you, and I want to help my comrades too!"

"Fine, we don't got time to argue." Dante accepted. "Just don't go off on your own, kid." He then turned to the rest of his group. "Let's get going."

"Aye sir!" Happy exclaimed as Natsu, Lisanna, Carla, Lily, Wendy, and Modeus all nodded.

---

The trio consisting of Lucy, Trish, and Michelle had made it quite a distance away and were in the woods just outside Magnolia with Trish trying to catch her breath as she leaned against a tree.

"You okay, Trish?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah… not used to carrying… more than one person like that…" Trish said as she recovered quickly enough.

"That was certainly exhilarating." Michelle said. "I've never travelled in lightning before."

"Hey Michelle, you mind telling us what kind of crazy stunt you were trying to pull back there?!" Lucy questioned in a slightly scolding manner, catching Michelle off-guard.

"Oh… I uh… when they took Patty hostage… I just thought that maybe…" She stuttered.

"That you'd what? Run with that damn thing and force them to chase after you?" Trish also scolded. "You can't fight! They would have caught you, taken the piece and fled! Maybe they could have even killed you! Did you even have a plan?!"

"I… I don't know…" Michelle began to cry. "I'm sorry! I really didn't think that far ahead! I just did what I thought would be the most helpful! I didn't mean to cause any trouble!"

Lucy and especially Trish winced at the sight of Michelle crying with even some snot coming from her nose. "Look, we're not mad or anything, no need for the waterworks." Trish told her with a slight sigh. "And if I'm being honest, even if what you did back there was pretty stupid, it still took plenty of guts."

"Yeah." Lucy nodded with a slight smile. "That was something only a true member of Fairy Tail would think of. You were only trying to help, and we appreciate that."

This seemed to calm Michelle down. "Thank you." She said with a smile.

Lucy looked toward her with a reminiscent smile. 'Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I was the same way when I first joined the guild. I did some pretty crazy things, but everyone always went with it and made it work out. It would be unfair if I didn't do the same to her.'

"Okay, time to brainstorm." Lucy began. "We know those guys are from the Order of the Sword, so what do they want with this clock piece?"

"Well, from that book you read, it's somehow connected to Sparda." Trish put in. "And given the Order seems to worship Sparda, maybe that has something to do with it."

"Maybe if we told them about Cousin Dante being Sparda's son, they'll stop attacking." Michelle suggested. "Not to mention Modeus was also Sparda's apprentice."

"True." Lucy seemed to nod. "And now that I think about it, that Nero guy seemed like he actually wanted to just talk things over, till his friends screwed everything up. Speaking of Nero, you guys all saw his arm, right? And what he did to Dante?"

"That was definitely demonic power." Trish confirmed. "No mistake."

"So, he's a demon?" Michelle asked. "And, if you look rather closely, he actually bears a resemblance to Cousin Dante."

"Hmmm, maybe…" Lucy began to think. "Seems like we have more questions than we do answers."

"We should keep moving." Trish told them. "We don't know if there are others in the Order that around here. We should probably go looking for the old man or anyone else in that might still be in forest from Dante's little show earlier. They could probably help out."

"Maybe Laxus is still around." Michelle suggested. "Even if he is no longer part of the guild, I'm sure he'll help us out."

"Yeah, good idea." Lucy said as she took up the wrapped clock piece and they quickly made their way through the woods while she looked down upon it with a determined expression. 'Until we figure out what this thing is exactly, I'm not letting it out of my sight. Dad gave it to me for a reason, and I'm not going to let him down!'

---

Nero had smacked Blue Rose on Mary Hughes' head, causing her to fall to the ground as she held her head, which already had a large bump on it. "What the hell was that for?!"

"You've done some shitty things, Hughes." Nero told her. "But taking a kid hostage is low, even for you!"

"It was kinda uncalled for Mary… she didn't have any magic at all. Even those guild wizards could put up a fight." Coco added.

"We tots have a job to do for his Holiness, remember?!" Mary reminded. "We gotta get the clock hand away from that blonde bimbo!"

"We might already have that damn thing if we just sat down and talked with those guys!" Nero yelled. "I like a good fight as much as the next guy, but I'd rather avoid it if it's a pain!"

"Hmmm, mmm." Sugarboy gave another Elvis-whistle. "Those wizards were savage! And I mean the bad savage, not the rockin savage. Hmm, mmm."

"Now thanks to you idiots, were in the middle of a potential shitstorm!" Nero continued. "I know you guys are cocky, but come on! Those guys clearly knew what they were doing! They had experience fighting people!"

"But they're supposed to be the weakest guild in the kingdom." Coco put in. "How could put up a fight like that?!"

"Is that tots all you guys are like talking about?" Mary questioned as she pulled herself up. "Like, look at Nero's freaking arm! It hasn't always been like that, has it?!"

Nero gave a slight scowl as he hid his arm in his jacket with Sugarboy eyeing the eye with suspicion. "Pretty boy's got dirty little secret."

"Nero… what is with that arm of yours?" Coco asked with genuine concern.

"It's nothing." Nero tried to brush off.

"Oh, I don't think so." Mary said with a grin. "You've got more than a 'dirty little secret' don't ya? Like, does Kyrie know about this?" That earned a glare from Nero. "I'll take that as a 'no.' It'll be like tots heart-breaking for her, knowing her sweet little angel is a demon. It be like a total shame if she found out. Right…?"

Suddenly Nero grabbed Mary Hughes by the throat with his demonic arm and pinned her to the nearest tree. "You will not breathe a word of this to Kyrie." He threatened her, glaring her straight into her eyes. "If you say anything to anyone about this… I'll kill you. You got that?!" He then turned back to Coco and Sugarboy. "Same goes for you two! Not a word! Not to Kyrie! Not to Credo! Not even Sam or Dan!"

"You know… He… prefers Samuel…" Coco tried to put in.

"I don't care!" Nero shouted. "This doesn't not leave this group! You got it!?"

"Yes sir! Lips are sealed!" Sugarboy made a motion to zip his lips in a comically frightened tone.

"I… I won't say anything either…" Coco said. "I promise Nero."

He then turned back to Mary Hughes who tried to glare as he pressed harder with his demonic limb. "Well?"

"Yes… I'll… keep your… stupid secret…" Mary struggled to get out. Satisfied, Nero dropped her, allowing her to breathe a little easier.

"Come on." He told the group. "No sense whining about the mess we're in, we still got a job to do." He was the first to leave, followed by Coco and Sugarboy.

Mary Hughes also picked herself up and followed them with a glare. 'I don't know what Kyrie sees in him; he doesn't deserve her! Especially if he's keeping something like that from her! I'll keep his little secret for now… but if he ends up putting Kyrie in danger, I'll totally make him regret ever being born!'

---

The sun had already set as the search party from Fairy Tail began looking for their friends in the forested mountain range outside Magnolia. To try and cover more ground, they had split into groups: Dante and Lisanna went north, Natsu, Modeus, and Happy went east, and Wendy, Romeo, Carla, and Panther-Lily went west.

"Lucy! Trish! Michelle!" Wendy called for them as Carla carried her, with Lily carrying Romeo beside them. "Where are you?!"

"Even if they went looking for the Master, we have no way of knowing which way the went." Carla said.

"Wendy, can't you smell them or something?" Romeo asked.

"Hmm, I'm smell like crazy, but I can't sniff them out for some reason." Wendy said.

Panther-Lily however noticed something alongside the nearest cliff. "GET BACK HERE!" He recognized the girl instantly, even if she was the Earthland counterpart of the girl he knew.

"Coco?!"

She leapt from the top of the cliffside to deliver a sweeping airborn kick and knock all four of them out of the air. Wendy screamed as she fell toward the ground, with Carla flying to catch her.

"Wendy!"

However, Romeo had already shot a strand of purple flame to catch her by the waist before throwing out another with his other hand to grab onto the edge of a stone hilltop. He pulled himself up along with Wendy for a rough landing, but it was better than falling flat on the ground.

"Wendy, are you okay?!" Romeo asked urgently as he made his way toward her.

"Yeah… thanks Romeo." Wendy nodded as Carla and Lily flew down to join them, the former sighing with relief.

"Nine-eight-ten points!" Coco cheered for herself as she landed vertically on the cliffside.

"This isn't some kind of game, Coco!" Lily yelled. "You could have killed them!"

"I've lost track of Lucy, so tell me where she's hiding, unless you want to eat my foot again!" Coco demanded the group before speaking to Lily directly. "Oh, and while we're at it, I hate cats! So please quit talking like we're best friends!"

That last phrase really struck Lily where it hurts. He remembered fondly the time he spent with Coco in Edolas and how she always tried to have fun with him every time they were together. He truly considered her a friend. And while he knew this wasn't the same Coco, hearing someone with the same voice and face say something like that to him almost felt like a shot to the heart.

"Lily, I understand how you feel given your history with the Edolas Coco, but this girl is not the friend you once knew!" Carla told him.

"Uh guys… I think we have a bigger problem right now." Romeo pointed behind them, causing the group to turn around in surprise to see a group of four flying armored individuals known as Bianco Angelos.

"What… what in the world are these things?!" Carla questioned.

Coco however looked in surprise before it turned into a smile. "Oh, hey guys! I didn't ask for the calvary, but I'm glad you're here! Think you can help me out!" She spoke to the Angelo soldiers.

"She knows them?!" Romeo exclaimed.

"Which means they're also part of the Order of the Sword." Lily deduced, trying to get over his initial shock and get serious. However, Wendy had a confused expression on her face as she looked at this group of white armored individuals.

'Huh…? What is this…? What's this scent?'

---

Elsewhere, Dante leapt from treetop to treetop before landing in a clearing near a cliffside. "Anything?!" He called upward toward Lisanna, who flew toward him in her Harpy Take-Over before turning to normal as she landed.

"No, nothing yet." Lisanna shook her head. "Maybe Natsu and the others found them."

"I know Trish can handle herself, same with Lucy and they can probably protect Michelle too." Dante began. "But we don't know anything about what these Order guys have up their sleeve. I'd feel much safter if we find them soon."

"I get it, we just need to…" However, as Lisanna glanced up, she noticed something coming down toward them in the form of a silhouette in front of the glowing moon. "Dante! Behind you!"

He quickly pulled Rebellion and blocked the sword strike from Nero before the later flipped back as Lisanna lunged at him in her She-Cat form, swiping her claws at him, but Nero leapt back a small distance before drawing Blue Rose, which Dante responded with Ebony and Ivory.

"Hmmph, look what the cat dragged in." Dante observed as he and Lisanna continued to stare down Nero.

"It's Nero, right?" Lisanna began. "You said you wanted to talk, so let's just talk. What does the Order want with Lucy's clock piece? What are you guys after?"

"Sorry, can't tell ya." Nero replied.

"Not good enough." Dante stated. "That's my cousin you guys are after. So, unless you want an ass kicking…"

"Can't, not won't!" Nero exclaimed. "I can't tell you, cause I don't know!"

"Well then, who does?" Lisanna questioned.

---

"Hey Natsu, can't you find Lucy just by sniffing her out?" Happy asked as he carried Natsu, while Modeus ran along a cliffside next to them.

"No, I tried." Natsu replied. "There's a real funky smell that keeps getting in the way!"

"Perhaps it's that clock piece she's carrying." Modeus deduced. "But maybe I can track that by its unusual energy." Suddenly a large cluster of the green slime shot directly toward Natsu, but Happy was able to pull him out of the way just in time. "Down there!" Modeus pointed to the source of the attack.

"It's Sugarboy!" Natsu scowled upon seeing the man down at the ground, who gave yet another Elvis-whistle. Happy flew Natsu closer to the ground as Modeus slid down the cliffside to face their enemy. "Get out our way, dirtbag! Unless you're in the mood for another beatdown!"

"As much as I'd love to tango with you boys, I got a job to do so I ain't got the time to dance around with you." Sugarboy said.

"This is no game." Modeus declared as he drew Hunter's Moon, however a massive creature suddenly fell down from the sky and landed behind Sugarboy, much to the group's surprise.

"Sugarboy! You mustn't let short term matters distract you from our mutual task at hand!" The man on top of the octopus told him.

"Where the heck did that come from?!" Natsu exclaimed in comic shock.

"Is that a demon octopus!?" Happy exclaimed in a similar fashion.

"No, I just think it's a regular octopus. One that can somehow move above water." Modeus commented, looking slightly perplexed at the creature as well.

"Have you or the others located Lucy Heartfilia yet?" The man on top questioned Sugarboy.

"I think the chickadee will be ours momentarily, Lord Byro." Sugarboy replied.

"Byro?!" Modeus exclaimed in shock. "Wasn't he from Edolas as well?!"

"Yeah, I remember him!" Natsu recalled. "He's that creepy old dwarf who tried to drain me and Wendy back then!"

"Earthland Byro's a giant octopus?!" Happy questioned.

"Well, the Edolas guy did turn into a giant octopus to… so I kinda think it makes sense." Natsu said in a perplexed tone.

"Don't be a fool, hotboy!" Sugarboy exclaimed. "Byro's the one standing on top of the octopus!"

"He's right. There is someone riding the beast!" Modeus pointed out as they got a good look at the tall, muscular, and armored man on the head of the massive creature.

"He's way different than the other guy!" Natsu and Happy both shouted.

However, Modeus was quick to get serious as he kept a firm grip on Hunter's Moon. "Are you with the Order of the Sword as well?!" He questioned Byro directly.

"No. I am a servant of Zentopia." Byro replied. "I am the leader of the monks of our religion, a direct aid to the Archbishop himself. However, since the official joining of Zentopia and the Order of the Sword, I have been tasked with aiding the Holy Knights in their mission."

"And what mission is that?" Modeus questioned further.

"It's not your concern." Byro responded.

"When you attack our friends, you make it our concern! Fire Dragon Roar!" Natsu tried to blast a breath attack at Byro directly, only for a series of white blurs to fly in front of it and block the attack with their combined armored shields. "What the…?!" Natsu questioned as he, Happy, and Modeus looked in shock at the sight of five Bianco Angelos and one Alto Angelo at the lead.

"Hmm, mmm. You boys are in trouble now." Sugarboy sang. "You're about to square off against bonified soldiers from the Order of the Sword; the Bianco Angelos and even a full-fledged Alto Angelo!"

"Angelo?" Natsu questioned as Happy's eyes suddenly widened.

"You mean like Nelo Angelo?!" The Blue Exceed voiced in terror.

"No, I don't think so." Modeus began. "The name 'Nelo Angelo' translates into 'Black Angel', which was the demon we faced in Edolas. But these beings, their names translate into White Angel or Tall Angel. They're not the same as that monster we faced."

"Sugarboy, you and these soldiers will eliminate these fools." Byro instructed. "Once that is done, return to the mission at hand. I am going on ahead."

"You got it co-boss." Sugarboy gave a finger-salute as his giant octopus, Kanaloa, turned around to leap into the air; leaving Natsu, Modeus, and Happy surrounded by Sugarboy and the six hovering Angelo soldiers.

---

Meanwhile; at Lucy, Trish, and Michelle's location, the trio tried to come up with some kind of strategy. "We may have made it pretty far away from the guildhall, but just in case we don't run into Gramps or anyone else, we need to come up with a plan if the Order finds us first."

"Yeah, good idea." Lucy nodded.

"Maybe one of your Celestial Spirits can help, Big Sister?" Michelle suggested.

"Maybe." Lucy took out her keys. "Loke, Capricorn, Virgo, and Scorpio are best suited for combat, I'm worried about Taurus though since he'll probably try to flirt with Coco and Mary Hughes." She said with minor annoyance.

"Yeah, you should really do something about that." Trish pointed out.

"What about the mermaid and the crab? Can't they help?" Michelle asked.

Lucy looked to her in surprise. "Wait a minute, how do you know about those two?"

"Huh? You told me about them. Don't you remember?" Michelle replied.

"No, I don't." Lucy responded. Suddenly, Trish had brought down the Devil Sword Sparda in between the two girls, much to their shock. "Trish?! What the heck!?"

"It's not me! I can't control it! Lucy, duck!" Trish exclaimed as she swung the blade toward Lucy, who could just barley limbo underneath it, causing her to roll toward the edge of a nearby cliff. Trish however scowled upon remembering who could do this. "It's that bitch, Hughes again!"

"Who you calling a bitch, ya bitch!?" The trio looked up toward Mary Hughes, who stood at the top of a rock with a cocky grin. "It's like exactly how Samuel calculated this would go down. Color me impressed! How about the color red, as in the color you two bimbos will make when you go splat on the ground?!" She waved her wand again control Trish.

Trish lifted her blade and plunged it deep into the ground with enough strength and force, that the entire cliffside that Lucy and Michelle were on began to crumble and fall, taking both girls with them, much to Trish's shock and horror.

"LUCY! MICHELLE!" She screamed while Mary Hughes laughed as they both watched the girls scream and plummet toward the ground.

However, something soared at high speeds through the air and was able to catch and intercept both girls before they hit the ground, much to everyone's shock.

"Erza!" Lucy exclaimed with joy as she and Michelle were in the grip of their redhaired friend in her Black Wing armor.

"It's alright, I've got you." Erza assured them as she gently set toward the ground and quipped back into her Heart Kreuz armor.

"What?! Where'd she come from!?" Mary Hughes exclaimed, but this was enough of a distraction for Trish to coat her body in electricity, forcing Mary Hughes to lose control of her magic, freeing Trish and allowing her to swing the Sparda sword and send a wave of lightning at Mary, blasting her toward the rocks.

With her dealt with, Trish transformed her body into a bolt of lightning as she zapped herself down toward where her friends were. "Are you two okay?" She asked with urgency.

"Yeah, we'll live." Lucy assured.

"Thanks to Erza." Michelle added, causing Trish to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Now, would you mind explaining to me what is going on here?" Erza questioned.

"The Order of the Sword attacked us." Trish gave a brief explanation. "They want that clock piece that Lucy's dad left for her, but we don't know why."

"The Order of the Sword?" Erza voiced in minor surprise. "The group that worships Sparda? I can't see a reason why they would be after your father's memento, Lucy."

"Well, while you, Gray, and Lady were out Erza, we learned that it might be connected to Sparda. But we don't know how exactly." Lucy explained.

"It is the will of our Savior." A new voice spoke up, causing the group to turn around as Erza drew her sword, while Trish drew her Umbre pistol and they both pointed at the individual in question clad in white with a determined and near-emotionless expression.

"Who are you?" Erza demanded as she and Trish stood protectively in front of Lucy.

"See that emblem on his suit?" Trish noted the symbol on the man's shoulder. "He's with the Order."

"I am Credo, Supreme General and leader of the Holy Knights. We've been tasked by his Holiness to retrieve the artifact from Lucy Heartfilia. Hand over the clock piece to me, and I'll pull my forces back." He offered up his hand, gesturing to hand the clock hand to him.

"That is not going to happen." Trish glared.

"Then you leave me no choice." Credo drew his Durandal sword and pointed toward them. Erza was quick however to step in front, blocking Credo's path.

"Trish, take Lucy and Michelle and keep moving." Erza instructed. "Leave this to me."

"Erza, we can help you!" Lucy attempted to protest.

"No. We do not know what other forces the Order has sent." Erza told them. "Until we know their intent for wanting your father's memento, we cannot take any chances. Go!"

"She's right." Trish agreed as she put a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "Let's keep moving."

Lucy nodded with reluctance. "Alright. Thank you Erza." She said to her friend before they, and Michelle left, leaving Erza alone to face Credo, the two circling each other like a pair of alpha predators, staring the other down in visual combat, each one silently daring the other to make the first move.

"I did not come here expecting to cross blades with the infamous Titania." Credo spoke. "But it doesn't matter if I defeat you or not, we will retrieve what we came here to seek."

"Before you can even think about going after Lucy, you'll have to deal with me first." Erza stated as she drew a second sword and took a stance to face her enemy.

"As you wish." Credo said as he took a stance of his own. They faced each other for another moment before they both rushed to clash metal in the center. Credo swung with such ferocity, speed, and power, that Erza actually found herself on the defensive, despite the fact she had two blades and he only had one. Credo swung diagonally upward, hoping to slice at Erza's side, but she blocked and parried with her right blade before trying to swing down with her left sword, prompting Credo to actually jump over Erza, flipping in mid-air before landing behind her to slice toward her neck, but Erza reacted quickly enough to bring up her sword and block the attack before dealing a kick to Credo's chest, causing him to slide back as she attempted to distance herself from him.

'He doesn't seem to have any magic power.' Erza thought with observation. 'Yet his swordsmanship is nothing to laugh at. His form is perfect, striking with incredible speed, even with such a heavy weapon. He leaves little room for opening and is quick on his feet as well. Clearly this isn't his first duel.'

Credo eyed Erza, almost as if reading her thoughts. "You assume simply because I do not possess any magical power, you can defeat me? It would be wise not to underestimate me." Credo spun a small dial on his blade before it stopped on a small symbol of a flame. He revved up his blade, similar to Nero's Red Queen before his sword lit on fire, much to Erza's surprise as he went on the attack.

Erza tried to block the strike with her swords, but Credo's flaming Durandal slice through her own swords like butter, further surprising Erza. Credo attempted to press the attack, but Erza jumped backwards to gain some distance before she transformed into her Flame Empress Armor and shot towards Credo with her own flaming sword. Both blades clashed to create a wave of flame that spread across the area while they continued to slice and parry with their respective swords of fire. They locked blades again as they glared at one another.

"So your magic allows you to requip into different armors and weapons, each having their own unique magical ability." Credo observed. "Impressive, who would have thought my weapon would be so similar to yours."

"What?" Erza voiced her surprise as Credo flipped the dial on his sword again, this time to a symbol resembling a set of icicles, the flames in his Durandal ceased and were replaced with an icy wind before he sliced outward to knock Erza back, her blade and most of her armor was now coated in ice.

'His sword can alternate between fire and ice?' Erza thought, not quite over her surprise. Credo swung his blade downward to send a trail of ice-spikes straight at Erza, quickly switched to her Flight Armor to move out of the way and zoom behind Credo to try and attack, but Credo had anticipated this as he plunged his sword into the ground to create a ring of ice-spikes around him and halt Erza's advance.

"As I said, I do not wield magic. I was born without the use of any." Credo explained. "But that doesn't mean I'm helpless. In order to become a true warrior, one capable of battling with the likes of you, as well as those who dwell in the Underworld, I had to wield a weapon just as powerful. My Durandal is equipped with multiple elemental lacrima, allowing me to combine their power with my swordsmanship, which I've trained in since I was a child. And I promise, others within the Order also wield similar weapons."

'So, his weapon is able to utilize different types of elemental magic.' Erza narrowed her eyes. 'I can't help but draw comparisons to Erza Knightwalker in Edolas, who could transform her weapon to utilize different magics in a similar method. Perhaps I did underestimate him, but it won't happen again.'

Erza then changed once more, this time into her Heaven's Wheel Armor as a ring of swords circled around her back. "Your name is Credo, correct? If you are truly the leader of the Order of the Sword's forces, then show me what enables you to maintain such a position! Show me your strength!"

"As you wish, Erza Scarlet!" Credo accepted the challenge as he changed the dial on his blade, this time it switched into a symbol resembling a tornado as his blade was engulfed in what appeared to be a miniature tornado, which he spun around to generate a powerful whirlwind around his body. He and Erza stared each other down for a moment before they clashed once again.

---

Meanwhile, Lucy, Trish, and Michelle continued to try and run and get more distance away from the fights ensuing. "Who knew the Order of the Sword would be so relentless?" Michelle stated. "They seem pretty determined to get the clock hand."

"But why? Can't they just tell us what's going on?" Lucy questioned. "That Nero guy certainly wanted to."

However, Trish felt a familiar presence as she stretched her hand out before throwing her other hand to shoot a blast of lightning at the source of the presence behind a large rock, which exploded outward to reveal Mary Hughes as she backflipped out of the way.

"It's her again!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Damn! How'd you find me out?!" Mary Hughes exclaimed.

"Call it instinct, but I know when trash is around." Trish glared, resulting in Mary Hughes glaring again before she tried to pull out her hand, but Trish was quick to shoot another bolt to blast the wand out of her hand. "Sorry, no puppet games for you!" Trish drew her sword and shot at Mary Hughes, swinging the blade, but Hughes was able to flip over it and land a distance away.

"Don't count me out either!" Lucy drew one of her keys. "Open! Gate of the Seagoat! Capricorn!" With a bright flash, she had summoned Capricorn to her side.

"At your service my lady. Do you need assistance?" Capricorn asked.

"Help Trish take that crazy chick down!" Lucy ordered.

"Right." Capricorn charged directly at Mary Hughes, who was caught off guard at Capricorn slugging her across the face. "Good to see you once again, Lady Trish."

"You too, Lambchop. Let's take this bitch down." They both charged Mary Hughes, who only glared further as she readied herself.

---

Dante clashed Rebellion against Nero's Red Queen, both glaring at each other as they pressed their strength against the other, sparks flying from the grinding of their blades.

"Dante!" Lisanna was about to run in and help him.

"No, you go find Lucy!" Dante told her. "I got this!"

Lisanna didn't like the idea of leaving her friend, but she also understood that Dante could handle himself and Lucy took top priority. "Alright, good luck." She transformed her arms into wings as she took to the skies to find her friend, leaving Dante alone to square off against Nero, who delivered a kick into Dante's gut to knock him back.

Dante was quick to recover as he took notice of Nero's demonic arm again. "That's some arm you got there. But I get the feeling it's not just for show." He began as Nero glared harder. "So, what's your story? Got a demon mom? Demon dad? Grandparents or something? Just what the heck are you, kid?"

"None of your damn business." Nero stated as he revved Red Queen again with his demonic arm to ignite it's internal engine while also drawing Blue Queen in his human arm and shooting at Dante, who drew Ivory in his right hand while holding Rebellion in his left to fire bullets and intercept each of Nero's shots. Both of them ran circles around each other as they shot their respective guns, each bullet impacting the other to create sparks in the middle of the circle before they both rushed toward each other, slicing Rebellion and Red Queen as they slid past one another.

Nero roared as he shot his fist forward to send a transparent fist attack toward Dante, but this time, he anticipated it and leapt to flip over it before falling down to shoot Ebony and Ivory at Nero, who rolled out of the way to avoid the shots before getting back up on his feet as Dante landed to draw Blue Rose again and shoot at Dante, who limboed underneath the gunshots before driving Rebellion into the ground and slicing upward to create a makeshift smokescreen of dirt and dust. This seemed to blind Nero briefly as Dante rushed him and struck Nero with the flat of his blade to his chest to send him flying and rolling off the cliffside. However, Nero shot out his demonic arm again to create a transparent hand that grabbed onto the edge and pull himself back up and high into the air to shoot Blue Rose again, prompting Dante to run backwards and avoid the shots that left small craters on the ground.

By the time Nero landed, Dante was almost at the other edge of the cliff before rushing Nero again with Rebellion, the two clashing blades once more as they slashed with incredible speed that it almost seemed like a blur in the middle of them with multiple sparks igniting from where their blades met. As they continued to clash blades, Dante can't help but recall the many times he duked it out with his brother. He didn't know why but facing this Nero guy reminded him too much of Vergil. And he wasn't sure if he liked it.

---

"Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame!" Natsu threw a large fireball toward Sugarboy, but his 'hound dogs' quickly formed a shield around his body to absorb the attack, much to his frustration.

"No! It was absorbed!" Happy called out.

"Natsu! Look out!" Modeus called as the five Bianco Angelos appeared above the Fire Dragon Slayer and tried to thrust their lances at him simultaneously, but Happy was able to pull him out of the way just in time and take to the air.

"Thanks, Happy!" Natsu said before he looked in further shock to see the Bianco Angelos fly after him.

"Those guys can fly too?!" Happy almost screamed as he and Natsu could barely dodge the lance thrusts the Bianco Angelos lunged at him.

At the same time, Modeus continued to clash blades with that wielded by the Alto Angelo, who appeared stronger than the Bianco Angelos. Modeus tried to swing his blade on the Alto Angelo's blind spot, but quickly brought its wings to the spot and brought them together like a shield to block Modeus' attack. Modeus would have counter attacked as well, before noticing a large shadow looming over him.

"Crazy Arms!" Sugarboy directed his slime to come together and take the form of a giant hand, which tried to crush Modeus, but he leapt above the crushing blow. However, this left him open for the Alto Angelo to fly up toward him and slice at him, though Modeus blocked the attack with Hunter's Moon, the impact sent him toward the ground with a shaky landing.

"Modeus, are you okay?" Happy asked as he set Natsu down next to him.

"That one with the sword appears stronger than the others." Modeus commented. "Not to mention Sugarboy's magic lets him absorb and nullify offensive attacks, be it magical or physical. We're in trouble."

Sugarboy whistled again as he danced. "That's what you folks get for underestimating the Order of the Sword. Don't get me wrong, it's been real fun, but we gotta close the curtain on this here show, aloha, time to go our separate ways."

All six Angelo soldiers, along with multiple extensions of the ever-moving slime, circled around the trio and attempted to overwhelm them in the form of a powerful attack. Suddenly, a massive ice wall appeared around Natsu, Happy, and Modeus in a circular formation to block the combined attack; much to everyone's surprise.

"Geeze, why do I always have to save your ass, flame-brain?" Gray questioned as he stepped out. "Modeus, you really outta avoid hanging out with this guy unless you wanna pick up some of his habits."

"Would it kill ya to be a little nicer every once in a while, Gray?!" Natsu exclaimed angrily.

"Thank you Gray, your help is appreciated." Modeus nodded.

Gray then turned to Sugarboy, and once his eyes set on him, he gave an audible gasp. "No, it can't be…!" He recognized him from Edolas, while also mistaking him for his counterpart from that same world.

"Hmm, mmm. I'm gonna call you Ice-boy." Sugarboy pointed to Gray. "Who likes spicy?"

"I'm not answering to some weird nickname!" Gray exclaimed. "How the hell did you even get to this world, anyway!?"

"It's not what you think, Gray!" Happy told him. "This isn't the guy we met! This is Earthland Sugarboy!"

"Huh?!" Gray was more than a little surprised, but this also left him vulnerable for three of the Bianco Angelos to lunge at him with their lances, but a raging tidal wave of water erupted between them, forcing the three Angelos back as the water materialized into a certain blue-haired woman.

"How dare you try to strike my beloved Gray?!" Juvia exclaimed before going on the attack. "Water Slicer!" She threw her arm out to send a series of water blades, which the trio of Bianco Angels were able to avoid before regrouping with the other two, as well as the lead Alto Angelo just above Sugarboy.

"Juvia, how did you even get here?" Gray questioned as Natsu, Modeus, and Happy grouped up with them.

"That does not matter, my love." Juvia commented. "What does matter is defeating these adversaries."

"Watch the guy with the green slime, it can absorb your magic." Natsu told them.

Sugarboy took another dancing pose. "Let's get this party started. Crazy!" He sang as he lashed out with more slime projectiles, forcing the group to scatter while also engaging the Angelo soldiers.

"Demon Sword: Phantom Moon!" Modeus sent a multitude of crescent-moon-shaped projectiles at the Alto Angelo, who blocked the attack with his winged-shield before lunging at Modeus with his sword, forcing him to block and parry each of the attacks.

"Ice-Make: Lance!" Gray launched a volley of his ice-lances at two Bianco Angelos, but they were able block the attacks with their own winged shields before thrusting at Gray with their lances at incredible speed, which would have pierced Gray had he not thrown up an ice-shield on reflex. But the attack still shattered his shield, blasting him back quite a way before rolling onto his feet.

The remaining three Bianco Angelos thrusted their lances at Juvia from all sides, but she let their attacks phase through her water body with little issue. "You cannot harm someone who's body is made entirely out of water." Juvia commented before attacking. "Water Nebula!" She shot two spiraling waves of water into the air, hoping to engulf the Angelos, but they proved too quick to avoid most of the attack, any attack they couldn't dodge they blocked with their shields, causing Juvia to look in frustration. "They're faster than I anticipated."

Natsu roared as he attempted to rush Sugarboy with a flaming fist, but Sugarboy seemed ready for it. "Hot Slime!" He sang as he brought out a wall of orange slime, which lit on fire, forcing Natsu to jump back before getting punched by the flaming slime which took the shape of a fist.

Sugarboy gave another whistle. "All that fire you fed my hound dogs just juiced them up. Now I can use your own flames against ya. Spicy!" He directed his slime to attack Natsu again, who only looked more annoyed.

"Ugh, this is gonna be a pain!"

---

"Sky Dragon Roar!" Wendy unleashed a breath attack at the group of four Bianco Angelos, led by the single Alto Angelo, hoping to engulf all five of them. But they simply threw out their shields to block the force of the attack while also thrusting themselves forward with the energy from their jet-boosters in their backs to keep from being blown away. When the attack subsided, the Angelos hadn't budged an inch.

"Not even your Sky Magic can stop them?" Carla looked in surprise.

"Just who the heck are these things?!" Romeo exclaimed.

They heard Coco's laugh from the cliffside. "Maybe I underestimated your stupid guild, but you also underestimated us! These Knights are from the Order just like me, so they won't go down easily!"

Panther-Lily growled as he grew in size, taking his large muscular form as he drew Baskerville. "Ready yourselves. I have a feeling this won't be an easy fight." One of the Bianco Angelos rushed the group first, however…

"Steel Devil Rage!"

A large cluster of steel shot forward to blast that one Angelo point blank, sending it crashing down into the forest below with an explosion, much to everyone's surprise.

"What the hell was that?!" Coco exclaimed as a familiar figure landed on the ground in front of her fellow Fairy Tail members.

"Lady!" Wendy exclaimed in relief.

"I leave this guild for one day, and already you guys are causing trouble." Lady cracked with a smirk before turning up to see Coco, much to her surprise. "Hey, isn't that brat from Edolas?"

"Lady, that is not the same Coco. It's the Earthland version." Carla informed her.

"She and these Knight-guys are part of the Order of the Sword!" Romeo quickly put in. "They're after Lucy and that clock piece she's got!"

This briefly caught Lady by surprise before getting serious. "Alright. We'll take these guys down and ask questions later, then."

Wendy then stepped forward with a serious expression. "Lady, you Carla, and Lily take down these white knight guys." She told them, much to everyone's surprise. "Romeo and I can handle Coco."

Romeo nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Carla wanted to voice her concerns, but at the same time, she knew Wendy had grown both physically as well as emotionally and mentally and trusted her to make her own decisions. "Alright."

"Very well, we'll leave you to it." Lily agreed as well. He casted a conflicted glance toward Coco, though he knew she wasn't the same girl he knew from Edolas, he still couldn't help but feel a little upset about this.

With that, Carla grabbed onto Lady and flew toward the group of Angelos alongside Lily, who clashed Baskerville against the blade of the Alto Angelo. Lady opened fire with her pistols at the incoming Bianco Angelos, who blocked the bullets with their winged-shields while also flying after her and lunging their spears, prompting Carla to fly her away. Meanwhile Coco ran down the cliffside to engage Wendy and Romeo who appeared ready.

"You brats really think you can take me? You're even more stupid than I thought!" She leapt toward them, forcing the pair to split apart before they tried to attack her in a crossfire style.

"Sky Dragon Wing Attack!" Wendy threw two whirlwinds at Coco from one side while Romeo threw out a series of purple fireballs from the other side. But Coco had leapt above the attack before shooting straight to Romeo to lash out a series of kicks, which he tried to block by crossing his arms, but was still knocked down from the impact. Wendy tried to blast her with a slice of wind, but Coco had leapt from her spot to land vertically on the wall.

"Nine-Ten points! Nice try, brats!" Coco mocked.

"She's fast." Romeo scowled as he pulled himself up. "How are we gonna catch her?"

"Leave that to me! Vernier!" She casted her support spell on herself as well as Romeo as she was encased in a cyan-colored sphere, while Romeo was in a bright purple sphere. Already he could feel light as a feather, causing him to smirk. "Let's go, Romeo!"

"Right behind you!" They leapt from their position before shooting at Coco on the cliffside, who attempted to run away from them, but as she turned around, she was caught off guard at how they were able to catch up and strike at her, forcing Coco to leap toward the edge of the cliff.

"What?! How can you catch up to me?! I'm the fastest around!" Coco exclaimed.

"My support magic increases the physical abilities of myself and my friends, that includes our speed!" Wendy replied. "With this we're as fast as you, if not faster!"

Coco scowled before rushing at them on the attack to try and kick Wendy, but she was ready for her. "Sky Dragon Claw!" Their kicks collided, but the attack from Wendy's spell sent Coco flying and skidding across the ground straight to Romeo who flailed a whip of solid green flame at Coco, striking her side and knocking her to the ground.

"Guess that's ten points for us." Romeo smirked, causing Coco to look irritated.

"That's my line!" She tried to run around them and pick up more speed to go on the attack, but Romeo threw a wave of blue flame at the spot where she was going to be, causing the ground to freeze up and for Coco to lose her traction once she hit it and slip and slide directly toward Wendy who readied another attack.

"Sky Dragon Wave Wind!" She threw her arms out to generate a tornado which engulfed Coco and sent her hurtling through the air. She and Romeo exchanged a high-five. "We make great team, don't we?"

"Yeah, we do." Romeo smiled with a small blush.

---

Meanwhile, Lisanna continued to fly in her Harpy form as she tried to search for Lucy and the rest of her friends. "Where are they? They couldn't have gone far." Suddenly, she was engulfed in a wave of purple light that caused her wings to vanish, much to her shock before she fell and screamed. She hit the ground rather hard and skidded across the surface before coming to a halt.

"Ouch…" Lisanna winced. "What… what happened to my magic?"

"I neutralized it." She looked backwards in surprise to see Byro standing on top of the giant octopus named Kanaloa, the large man glaring down toward her. "My Nullification Magic allows me to neutralize all forms of magic within a certain area, including demonic power as well." He pointed his staff toward Lisanna. "I will not let you interfere in our mission. Kanaloa."

Upon hearing his name, the octopus spat a stream of corrosive ink to her. All Lisanna could do was brace herself until the ink was broken apart by a powerful, yet familiar, magic that blasted it away from her. Lisanna looked up in surprise and relief to see the man standing in defense of her.

"Gildarts!" She exclaimed with a smile as the man in question glared at Byro.

"You got some nerve attacking a defenseless kid like that." Gildarts stated. "So, why don't you pick on someone your own size?!"

"If you insist on standing against me, even someone of your caliber will fall." Byro replied. "I know all about you, Gildarts Clive; said to be the strongest wizard of Fairy Tail next to your master. But no matter how powerful your magic, all are powerless against me."

"Is that so?" Gildarts questioned before quickly leaping up to meet Byro at the top of Kanaloa's head and unleashing his titular Crush Magic at Byro, who simply waved his hand to block the attack with his own Nullification magic, preventing himself from being disassembled, while the aftereffects of Gildarts attack blew away the ground and trees behind them.

Lisanna looked up in surprise. 'His power is strong enough to stop even Gildarts' magic?!'

"As I told you, all magics are powerless against me." Byro stated with his ever-stoic expression.

"Guess we'll just have to do it the old-fashioned way!" Gildarts threw a punch, which Byro blocked with his staff.

"I have spent my entire life training in virtually every form of mortal combat. If you insist on facing me like this, I will eliminate you." Byro glared as he threw out a punch of his own, which Gildarts blocked with his prosthetic arm.

"I've gone up against guys way bigger than you." Gildarts said with a daring smirk.

---

Meanwhile, Dante continued to engage Nero in their duel, with the two warriors seeming to be evenly matched. Rebellion clashed with Red Queen, even as Nero revved it even further, it didn't as so much as scratch Rebellion as the blade showed no signs of breaking. Dante swung Rebellion down, which Nero blocked once again with Red Queen, before he quickly pulled out Blue Rose in his other hand and tried to shoot at Dante's head, who swerved to the left and avoid the shot while he drew Ivory and shot toward Nero, who batted the gun away with the handle of Red Queen, leaving him for Dante to drive the hilt of Rebellion into Nero's gut and knock him back.

Dante tried to rush forward, but Nero thrusted his demonic arm again to generate another transparent arm to grab Dante by the head and slam him into the ground. But Nero wasn't done yet, wanting to make sure he stayed down, Nero raised his fist to generate another transparent fist, one larger than before, and slam it down into Dante repeatedly, pounding him deeper into the ground. After the eight punch, Nero reached out to grab a large rock with his transparent arm, lift it over Dante's partially buried form and slam it down on top to bury him underneath it.

Nero fell to one knee in an attempt to catch his breath. "Pretty tough…. Not bad pal. But… I got a job to do…" He pulled himself up and ran to leap off the cliffside trying to get to his destination as fast as he could.

---

Capricorn threw out a punch toward Mary Hughes, who blocked and parried to try and deliver a kick to his head, but Capricorn blocked it with his right arm before throwing out his left fist to punch Mary in the gut and knock her down. Trish tried to bring down her blade on to her, but she quickly rolled out of the way to avoid the devastating slice before getting back up on her feet.

'Damn. This be tots easier if I could get my wand!' She looked toward her downed wand and was about to make a move for it, but a chain suddenly wrapped around both her ankles to trip and knock her down. "What the…?!"

"You made a big mistake picking a fight with us, sister!" Lucy warned as she held the Morning Star, having used it to trip up Mary Hughes. "Fairy Tail doesn't back down, no matter who we fight!"

Mary Hughes glared as she got up to perform a handstand and spin herself to untangle her feet before leaping into the air to avoid another punch from Capricorn. Trish tried to shoot her with electrified bullets from Luce and Umbre, but she flipped while airborne to avoid most of the attacks as she managed to grab a hold of her wand while landing.

"Gotcha!" She pointed her wand forward, but Trish wasn't having it.

"Not this time!" Trish tried to blast her with another lightning-bolt, but Mary Hughes had revealed her target was actually Michelle, whom she pulled in to try and act as a shield, much to Trish's shock as she tried to divert her attack away, but it still grazed Michelle, causing her to scream in pain as she was knocked unconscious.

"No! Michelle!" Lucy exclaimed in shock as Trish and Capricorn glared at Mary Hughes who only smirked.

"My turn!" She pointed her wand at Trish yet again to control her, which worked as she forced Trish to impale Capricorn from the back, much to Trish's and Lucy's horror. "I tots had enough of you guys. So now it's time to make you hurt." She laughed.

"I… I'm sorry…" Trish stuttered in shock at being forced to stab her comrade.

"it's alright…Lady Trish…" Capricorn still maintained a smile as he felt his body vanish. "But… I'm not done yet…" He quickly grabbed Trish's Luce pistol and fired at Mary Hughes, grazing her arm and forcing her to drop her wand again. "Farwell for now… Lady Trish… Lady Lucy…" He said as he faded away back to the Spirit World.

"Capricorn…" Lucy still didn't quite appear over her shock, as it was still rather hard to see her spirits fade away like that, even if she knew they wouldn't truly die.

"Damn it…!" Mary Hughes held her arm. "Not again…" She tried to reach for her wand. "I'm tots getting sick of people taking my…" Suddenly Trish had shot herself toward her, grabbed Mary Hughes by the chin and pinned her against a rock as the lightning she-devil gave a death glare at her enemy.

"I've had about enough of you!" She grabbed Mary Hughes' shoulder with her other hand before electrocuting her entire body, causing Mary Hughes to scream in pain as Trish shot her full of demonic lightning. After a minute or two, Trish stopped and let Mary Hughes' unconscious body slide to the ground. She really wanted to kill her, but that would make her no different. With her dealt with, Trish made her way over to Lucy, who was tending to the unconscious Michelle.

"She okay?"

"Eh… yeah. She'll be fine." Lucy replied. "Are you okay? I know she was bad but… Trish… that was… kinda ruthless… even for you."

Trish looked away slightly. "I think you know how much I hate being a puppet."

That was all Lucy needed to hear to know exactly what she was talking about. Trish was created by Mundus and had been a puppet to him her entire life, even going so far as to try and betray and kill the only real man who ever showed her any kindness.

"Trish…" Lucy wanted to say something comforting, but Trish suddenly pushed Lucy out of the way as a giant transparent demonic fist appeared to smash Trish into a nearby rock, much to Lucy's shock.

The attacker was none other than Nero, who had finally caught up to them. Not taking any chances, Nero threw out another transparent fist attack onto Trish with enough force to knock her unconscious.

"Trish!" Lucy shouted but soon gasped as she saw Nero turn to her with an exhausted and irritated look on his face.

"I'm just about done with all this." Nero voiced his grievances as he walked closer to Lucy, who tried to back away but almost found herself at the edge of a cliff. "Just give me the damn clock hand so I can leave! I'd rather not hit a girl, but I will if I have to!"

Lucy held the wrapped clock hand closer to her person, refusing to let it go. "Why do you want this so badly!? What are you trying to do with it?!"

"I don't have time for this, anymore." Nero stated as he reached out with his demonic hand to snatch the clock hand from Lucy's arm and pull it towards him.

"No! Give it back!" Lucy tried to snap her Morning Star weapon at him, but Nero caught it with his human hand and used his own strength to flail it over and around Lucy before pulling on it to tighten and wrap up Lucy in her own whip, binding her arms to her sides, tripping her up.

"Look, nothing personal." Nero told her. "If I had my way, we could have talked it over. But thanks to those idiots, this whole thing turned into a mess. I don't know what exactly this thing is, or why the Order wants it, but it's supposed to be dangerous. Can't have something like that in some random guild." He turned around to walk toward the unconscious Mary and retrieve her.

"Please…" He heard the bound Lucy plead, causing him to stop, but he still kept his back to her as she pleaded to him with a teary expression. "That's my father's memento… He left it to me on his death bed… you can't take it! Please!"

Nero glanced slightly back to her to see Lucy was already crying as she looked toward him with a desperately pleading expression. Seeing that look on her face felt like a punch to the gut for him. He remembered when Kyrie would sometimes cry when they grew up as kids, and he always hated seeing something like that. A part of him wanted to leave it to her if this was the last gift from her dad, but he needed to find out what this thing is. It could be dangerous, and he didn't want to leave it with someone that could accidentally get hurt by it.

"Sorry." Nero said as he put something into his Blue Rose gun and fired it into the air. Once it reached a certain height, a bright blue flare erupted into the sky, shinning over the entire area.

---

Everyone across the battlefield could see the flare; Erza and Credo, who ceased their duel; Byro, Gildarts, and Lisanna; Natsu, Gray, Modeus, Juvia, and Sugarboy, along with the Angelo soldiers near them; Wendy, Romeo, Coco, Lady, Lily, Carla, and their own group of Angelo soldiers, and even Dante as he pulled himself up from the rubble with a grimace. Everyone from the Order of the Sword had some form of triumphant expression as this was a signal that their mission was accomplished, while those in Fairy Tail had a sinking feeling in their stomach, having a good idea what this meant. Dante especially felt both frustrated and worried.

"Lucy…"

Done.

And so Fairy Tail has just had their first confrontation with the Order of the Sword, and it was quite an epic one.

I'm sure many of you have noticed the changes I made from the anime arc. First off, was Fairy Tail's performance against their new enemy. Back in the anime, it was a curb stomp battle in favor of the Legion Platoon, and it was done in a more comedic fashion, which was kind of annoying. But given how we not only have the likes of Dante, Trish, Modeus, Lady (who has grown stronger thanks to her Devil Slayer magic), not to mention Wendy and Lisanna have both become stronger in their own way in my story, it makes more sense they'd put up more of a fight than from the anime arc.

I also decided to put Mary Hughes through the ringer in this arc, because I did not like her at all in the anime; she was a major bully, and I really do not like bullies. But I also plan on expanding her character a bit, as well as some of the others in the Order to give them a bit more depth.

I'm also sure that many of you might have mixed feelings about Nero beating Dante this time around, unlike in the cannon game. However, back in DMC4, Dante was likely in his 40s (his age is never quite confirmed) and was considered a seasoned fighter and devil hunter, while Nero was less experienced than him, so it only made sense that Dante would just be toying with him at that point. But here, not only thanks to Dante being younger, but also a slight change in Nero's origin (which will be explained later in the arc), Nero's only a few years younger than Dante (Physically, not counting the Seven Year Time-Skip from the events of Tenrou Island), so they'd be a bit more evenly matched. Plus, Dante was caught off guard by Nero's own demonic power, so that gave Nero the edge to win. But don't worry, those two are bound for a rematch.

I also gave Credo a bit of a weapon's upgrade, as he now exists in the world of Fairy Tail, he needs one in order to compete with proper wizards and demons. But don't think that'll mean he won't undergo a certain transformation, because he will later on, and he won't be the only one. I won't say who though, as that goes into spoiler territory.

One last thing to clarify. Unlike in the anime, those from the Legion Platoon (Mary Hughes, Sugarboy, Coco, along with Samuel and Dan, whom we have yet to see) are actually from Fortuna and part of the Order of the Sword along with Nero and Credo. From the cannon game, we don't know too much about the membership of the Order outside Sanctus, Credo, Agnus, Nero, and Credo, so I wanted to expand upon it and put in the Legion Platoon characters. The only one who's not part of the Order is Byro, who is still from Zentopia in this fic, he's just the head of the monks and a direct aid to the Archbishop. Why I decide to keep Byro in Zentopia, you may ask? Credo is the leader of the Holy Knights in my story and it didn't make sent to have two leaders in the same organization. As the Order and Zentopia have now joined together, Sanctus has partnered with the Order's Holy Knights to ensure this is a 'joint operation' for them.

I hope that all makes sense. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me and I'll answer what I can without spoilers.

Now the Order of the Sword has Lucy's clock piece. What do they intend to do with it? Find out as the arc continues on and we learn more about not only the piece but the mystery behind this whole ordeal, as well as the Order itself. Until then, stay safe and stay healthy out there.