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.

23. The True Saviors

Hi everyone, here we are, the finale of the Order of the Sword arc. Everything has led to this moment, and I have been waiting to write it since forever. With most of the enemy forces down; only Sanctus, the Savior, Imitatia, Midnight, and Cobra remain, but that is still a task not so easily overcome. Can our heroes stop this apocalypse before it spreads throughout the world? Let's find out right now.

The True Saviors

Nero clashed the Masayoshi with the Devil Sword Sparda wielded by Sanctus Diabolica, before Sanctus flew back and hovered in the air as two demonic lanterns hovered alongside him before they shot glowing red energy spheres toward him, forcing Nero to roll away as he pulled out Blue Rose to shoot the spheres and aimed his gun at Sanctus, who vanished from sight and re-appeared behind Nero to thrust the Devil Sword Sparda and send him flying across the chamber; though Nero recovered while airborne and thrusted his Devil Bringer arm in Sanctus direction, sending a transparent fist attack his way, which Sanctus batted away with a swing of the stolen sword before the lanterns themselves shot at Nero, striking him in the chest and pinning him to the wall where Sanctus flashed at him and sliced the sword at Nero, causing him to skid across the wall and land hard against the ground.

Meanwhile, Natsu threw a flaming fist towards Imitatia, who blocked it with her flower shield before slicing at Natsu with her rose sword, which he backflipped to avoid before going on the attack. "Fire Dragon Roar!" Natsu's breath attack gunned straight for Imitatia, but she swerved underneath and threw out her flower-shield, connected to her wrist by a thorny-vine attached to her hand as the shield spun around like rotating blade that struck Natsu to send him skidding back on his feet before facing her with a growl.

"Oooh well this is entertaining." Klodoa watched with glee as he hovered close to the prison where Lucy and Kyrie were being held. "We got the same pest who took down Master Zero and even that meddlesome Nero on the defensive, and I got the best seat in the house. Enjoy the view ladies, maybe seeing these two bite it will cause you to give up what little resistance you have"

Klodoa however gave a yelp in surprise as Blue Rose was shot in his direction. "Shut your mouth you damn stick!" Nero cursed at him before slicing Masayoshi to send a slicing-wave Sanctus, direction; which he protected himself from by conjuring a shield around him with a sinister laugh.

"How could you do this, Michelle?!" Natsu exclaimed as he brought down a fireball onto her, which she countered by slicing with her sword to cut the attack in half, but this allowed Natsu to come in close and slug her across the face with a fiery-punch. "You were a part of Fairy Tail and you betrayed us?!"

"I was never part of your guild." Imitatia said coldly as she threw out her shield again, which Natsu blocked by crossing his arms, but the impact did cause him to skid back. "It was all a means to an end, nothing more."

"Does that include Lucy and Dante?!" Natsu shouted with anger, causing Imitatia's eyes to slightly widen. "We're they just tools for you, even after how they treated you!? You called Lucy your sister and Dante your cousin! You were a part of their family even after everything they've both lost! They lost both their parents, and Vergil showed how much he really doesn't care about either of them!" The flames around Natsu's arms grew as he continued. "Then you came and you made them so happy! Was that all just a set up too?! Do you even care about them at all you damn faker!?"

Imitatia's eyes lit with anger as she threw out her flower shield again, but Natsu avoided it as he came in close to Michelle to try and strike her with a flaming kick, but she parried it with the flat of her sword before unleashing several thorny vines from around her body to bind Natsu. "Cliché!" His entire body shot with pain as the thorns extended to pierce all his vital spots before she threw him to send him crashing against the wall.

"Natsu!" Nero called out, but this left him open for Sanctus to lift the Devil Sword Sparda into the air and drive it into the ground to unleash a shockwave of demonic lighting to blast Nero and send him crashing near where Natsu landed.

"You can't possibly hope to understand!" Imitatia exclaimed to the pair, to Natsu in particular. "I'm doing this for them! You said it, all this world has given them is pain and suffering! I'm trying to help them get to a world where there is no suffering! A world where all Big Sis and Cousin Dante know is happiness!"

Natsu punched his fist into the ground. "They were happy enough with just having you in their lives." He said as he pulled himself up. "They don't need all this new world crap!"

"Oh, naïve little Dragon Slayer." Sanctus said with a slight sigh as he hovered in the air. "Surely someone who works so closely with a child of Sparda can see the follies of this world; the corruption, the hypocrisy and follies that lies within human nature; and even then, there is still the threat of the Underworld constantly looming over. Don't you understand?"

"No, and I don't want to!" Natsu exclaimed, the flames around him only growing larger. "This world is fine by me; people like you are what's wrong with it! And I'm gonna solve it by beating them and you to a pulp!"

"Got that right." Nero stood his ground alongside Natsu, his Devil Bringer arm only glowing brightly. Ever since he was freed, he could feel more demonic power surging through him, and it wasn't just his own. He felt the Devil Arms that had joined to him, their power at his disposal. Though he didn't quite understand how they worked, he and Natsu needed every advantage they can get, so now as a good time as ever to break them in.

"Time to clean up this mess. Lucifer!" Quipping into the Devil Arm he at least some form of familiarity with, Nero threw multiple red energy blades toward Imitatia and Sanctus; both defending themselves with their respective shields as Natsu appeared in between them.

"Fire Dragon Talon!" He dealt a flaming split kick to both enemies; though Sanctus' barrier shielded him from the impact, Imitatia was still struck in the arm and knocked back. "Hey Nero, let's switch things up!" He exclaimed as he gunned straight for Sanctus.

"Sounds like a plan." Nero wielded a pair of Lucifer-blades in his hands as he rushed Imitatia, slicing at her as she attempted to block them with her sword and shield; but as Nero used a sword in one hand to parry all her strikes, he repeatedly drew several more swords from his other hand and stuck them in the ground as he moved around Imitatia in a dance of sword clashes before leaping away.

Imitatia then gasped as she saw that more than a dozen Lucifer-blades were surrounding her in a crude circle. Nero then threw out his remaining blade to strike one of the other swords, causing them all to ignite in the form of an explosion that seemed to encompass Imitatia.

Suddenly, Nero was caught off guard as the flower-shield was thrown out from the smoke toward him. Though he was able to avoid it as it imbedded itself in the wall behind him, Imitatia pulled herself toward Nero thanks to the vine attaching herself to the shield. She swung her rose sword at him, forcing him to bring up his Devil Bringer arm on instinct and block it; the impact created a slight shockwave that blew them both from each other before they re-engaged.

At the same time; Natsu shot flames from his feet to propel him straight for the shielded Sanctus, where he proceed to punch the barrier repeatedly with his flaming fists. "Quit with the stupid shield and fight me like a man!" Natsu told him, but as he pulled back both his fists and brought them on the shield, it shattered, much to Sanctus' shock. "Now that's more like it!" Natsu smirked. "Fire Dragon Wing Attack!" Waving his arms, Natsu sent multiple waves of flames at Sanctus; though he sliced through most of them with the Sparda sword before slicing Natsu with it to knock him back to the ground.

"Ignorant boy! You cannot defeat me! You face one who wields the power of Sparda himself!" Sanctus declared before sending more energy spheres in Natsu's direction, which he did his best to avoid.

"Wouldn't be the first time." The Salamander said with a glare before attacking again.

---

Dante took a blast from Midnight, still in his Zero Caduto form, while Dante's own Dreadnaught form allowed the blast of Darkness Magic to bounce off him. Dante then leapt straight toward Midnight, slicing Rebellion toward him, but Midnight flew up to avoid it as Dante landed on a platform before Midnight tried a more precise shot with his Dark Capriccio power, which struck Dante in his chest, but his Dreadnaught form seemed to be unfazed as the attack couldn't even penetrate the surface before Dante sliced up with Rebellion to break the attack and then unleashed his Million Stab Technique, only for Midnight's Reflector Magic to cause it to divert away from him.

'Even Dark Capriccio can't pierce through it.' Midnight thought as his Zero Caduto form hovered over Dante's Dreadnaught appearance. "It seems with your Dreadnaught form, we are evenly matched. Your attacks can't touch me, and my powers can't break your defenses."

"Still can't break my sword, or my fists." Dante shot up at Midnight, slashing Rebellion at him, which Midnight blocked with a wave of his dark green magic before he retreated behind Dante as he landed on another hovering piece of debris.

"You still have to make contact with me, which I don't intend to allow you." Midnight said as Dante turned around to leap at Midnight again, but he simply flew back while casting his Reflector magic on Dante himself, hoping that it can at least affect Dante's transformation. However, the invisible magic itself broke apart the second it made contact and Dante didn't appear to take any damage. "So not even my Reflector magic can break that. It truly seems like an impenetrable shield, but we both know better."

"What are you going on about?" Dante questioned.

"Klodoa told me how weakened you were after your first attempt at using that power of yours." Midnight explained. "And given all that's happened, you haven't had any time to practice it, have you? So all I must do is keep out of range of your physical attacks and wait out that transformation. Then you will be helpless before me."

"Good plan, too bad I'm gonna kick your ass before I lose this form." Dante pulled back Rebellion and charged an attack as a glowing red sphere formed at the tip of his sword before thrusting forward to send a powerful dark red sphere at Midnight, almost like a super-charged form of his Million-Stab move; but Midnight reflected the attack around him before it exploded behind him, just as Dante jumped to meet him in the air and clash his Rebellion against Midnight's Darkness Magic once more.

---

"Lightning Dragon Roar!"

"Halphas Blast!"

Laxus and Mira, still in their respective Dragon Force and Halphas transformations, unleashed a combined attack that struck the Savior in the face. However, the dust from the attack cleared to reveal the Savior was still undamaged and retaliated with a powerful beam from its incomplete halo at the pair, striking them both and sending them crashing all the way to the ground. The beam fired a continuous attack, hoping to eliminate them, only to find something blocking it.

Laxus and Mira, both brought to their knees and severely weakened looked in surprise to see Freed, who looked more worse-for-wear then them, standing firm and holding his hands out to create a make-shift barrier of Runes and hold the attack back.

"Freed…!" Laxus muttered.

"Go… I can't hold it…!" Freed struggled as the Runes were already cracking as the Savior's attack continued to press on. Freed almost fell back; but he felt a pair of hands grab onto his shoulders and help keep him up.

"We got your back, bro!" Bickslow stated.

"The Thunder Legion never surrenders!" Evergreen also stood her ground as she and Bickslow helped Freed to stand, despite both of them appearing on their last legs.

"You have to stop… you can't…!" Mira tried to stand up but fell to her hands and knees. 'I haven't recovered from our fight with Racer… so I'm near my limit… and they…'

"Just stop you idiots!" Laxus told them. "You're already done, so just get lost and save yourselves!"

"Who do you take us for Laxus…?" Evergreen weakly said with a smirk as the trio continued to stand, despite the attack almost breaking through their defenses.

"Yeah…. We don't abandon our own…." Bickslow also smirked.

"Even if you no longer associate with Fairy Tail… you have and always shall be… our dearest friend." Freed said as his barrier looked ready to break at any second, but he still turned around with a sincere smile. "And friends always have each other's backs."

The barrier then shattered, allowing the massive laser beam to blast them all; but Freed, Evergreen, and Bickslow allowed themselves to shield Laxus and Mira, even as the resulting explosion overtook all five of them.

The smoke and dust began to settle as Laxus, still in his Dragon Force state, tried to push himself up. He then gasped as he saw Freed, Evergreen, Bickslow, and even Mira, no longer in her Halphas form, all scattered around him and lying unconscious, just barely alive. The massive shadow of the Savior loomed over him as he pushed himself to stand on his two feet, albeit shakily.

'My form won't last much longer. So, I'll give everything I have in this last attack.' Laxus brought his hands close together and a large sphere of golden magic began to form in-between his palms. He channeled all the magic he could into this last resort as the Savior glanced down at him, preparing another attack from its halo, like it was ready to execute him on the spot, but the spell Laxus was preparing was glowing even brighter. 'This thing didn't work before because I had my head up my ass, but not this time! I know who my enemy is! Freed and the others told me how this Infinity Clock thing is supposed to be indestructible, but I'd like to see it shake this off! I'll focus it all on this massive thing and maybe do some damage, enough to give the others a fighting chance!'

The Savior fired another massive beam that shot toward Laxus, but he was already prepared. "EAT THIS YOU PIECE OF SHIT STATUE! FAIRY LAW!"

Laxus clasped his hands together, the resulting golden energy shined even brighter as it seemed to dissipate the Savior's attack. A massive golden magic circle formed above the Savior with the Fairy Tail emblem on it before it shined down an enormous golden beam of light down onto the Savior, forcing it to the ground and on its hands and knees as the light encompassed the giant artificial demon.

The light shined as bright as the sun and got the attention of virtually every single person in Fortuna as they looked in mixtures of awe, shock, and amazement. Even the fight between Dante and Midnight came to a halt as they saw the light; though Midnight remained unaffected by the Fairy Law spell as Laxus had it concentrated on the Savior directly and nothing else.

The weakened Makarov looked along with Kinana and other citizens inside one of the shelters set up by the Rune Knights. As everyone looked with wide eyes and circular mouths at the bright light, Makarov couldn't help but give a weak smile.

'That's my boy.'

The light finally vanished; and Laxus fell on all fours in exhaustion. The yellow scales around his body vanished as he could no longer hold his Dragon Force.

"That's it… I'm… drained…" Laxus said in-between breaths, looking toward the massive dust cloud of where his enormous foe once stood. "But… at least… I think I got the bastard…"

However, any thought of victory was brought to a horrific halt as a pair of glowing red lights, along with a larger blue one, appeared through the dust and smoke that began to clear away, revealing the Savior as it slowly stood back up on its feet, without so much as a scratch appearing on its body.

"What…?!" Laxus muttered, his pupils shrunk. "This thing… what the hell…? It should have… done something…! Is it really indestructible…?!"

The Savior stood up straight and looked down at the drained Laxus, with the unconscious and beaten Mira, Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen lying around him. It lifted its right foot over them and prepared to stomp on them, almost like it was treating them like insects.

"Sorry guys…" He held his head down, almost like he was accepting his fate. "I did my best."

However, someone appeared before Laxus, pulled back his fist and channeled an intense amount of magic into it before throwing it forward to strike the incoming foot. The resulting collision caused a massive explosion of destructive magic that carried enough force to send the Savior reeling back.

"You were able to pull off one of the guild's three sacred spells and still couldn't stop this thing?." Gildarts turned toward Laxus with a smirk. "You really are lame."

But it wasn't just Gildarts. Laxus looked in shock to see that everybody else had arrived alongside him. Lisanna, still in her Dragon Soul form, along with Gray, Happy, Gajeel, Panther-Lily, Wendy, Carla, Romeo, Lady, Trish, Coco, Dan, Sugarboy, Samuel, Mary Hughes, and Guttman, as well as Kanaloa, all stood together in a line to face the recovering Savior. Even Byro in his Angelo form hovered above them with the Christina Advance with Ichiya at the helm, hovering even higher.

"If we're gonna go out, we might as well go out with a bang, right?" Gildarts said, maintaining his smirk and cracking his knuckles.

"ATTACK!" Byro declared as they all charged forward to blast and strike at the Savior with whatever kind of attack that they could unleash all across its body, and it was not just them.

"Everyone, concentrate all your fire on that abomination! Attack now!" Lahar declared as his entire Rune Knight army had positioned themselves on the buildings around the Savior and blasted it with all the long-ranged magic attacks they could, covering the abomination with explosions as the attacks struck.

Laxus' shocked expression soon turned into a smile of an unsurprised nature. "Yeah… they're a bunch of idiots."

"They sure are." He glanced behind to see Doranbolt appearing along with Morrison, Laki, and Warren him as he picked up the unconscious Mira bridal style, while the others helped gather the injured Thunder Legion members. "Come on, I'll help get you and your friends to safety so they can recover."

"Sure thing." Laxus nodded.

"Super Freezing Arrow!" Happy flew Gray around the Savior as he blasted a volley of ice arrows all over its side as Carla flew Wendy alongside him with Lisanna in her Dragon Soul.

"Inferno Blast!" Lisanna fired her breath attack.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Shattering Light: Sky Drill!" Wendy waved her hands to blast a massive attack of her Sky Magic which struck the Savior's side as well with explosive results.

Gajeel had leapt towards the Savior's chest with Lily and Samuel by his side, both in their battle forms. "Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Karma Demon Iron Spiral!" His entire lower body had transformed into a massive iron drill that shot at the Savior while Lily and Samuel both drove their blades into the Savior's form and flew up to drag their blades through it and try to deal some damage.

"Steel Devil Rage!" Lady shot her own breath attack while Trish stood by her side, both on a nearby rooftop, as she fired with all the lightning she could muster. Both attacks combing to strike the Savior across its left side.

Kanaloa came at the Savior from behind, wrapping its tentacles all around it to maintain its position on its back as the giant octopus fired a steam of its corrosive ink at the back of Savior's head; while its riders, consisting of Romeo, Coco, Dan, Sugarboy, and Mary Hughes went on the attack.

Romeo threw a wave of blue flame to freeze a patch of the Savior's back, which Coco promptly shattered with several leaping kicks. Dan lunged his lance to unleash a volley of magic bolts as Sugarboy commanded his slime as Mary Hughes focused her wand to try and keep the Savior as still as possible.

"Go forward Christina! Lay the abomination low! Fire away!" Ichiya commanded as the flying ship of the Blue Pegasus guild opened fire with magic bolts and bombs at the giant artificial demon as well.

"Divine Arrow!" Angelo Byro fired a massive glowing purple magic arrow at the Savior as Gildarts unleashed an attack of his own.

"Empyrean!" He shot his fist forward to send a wave of his Crush magic at the beast as both it and Divine Arrow struck the Savior with enough force to send it falling backwards, while all the attackers fled from the area before it crashed on the ground.

While it was down, Guttman threw his hands out to cast as much of his Rupture power as he could, causing several parts of the downed Savior to glow green before multiple explosions erupted all over.

However, it wasn't long before the Savior began to pull itself up, only for everyone else to resume their attack and hit the Savior with everything they got. Whether they were from Fairy Tail, the Order of the Sword, the Magic Council, or otherwise, they would fight to their last breath to stop this walking catastrophe.

---

"Poison Dragon Roar!" Cobra, still in his own Dragon Force state, unleashed his breath attack toward Erza, clad in her Armadura Diabla. But rather than avoid the attack, she lunged her spear forward at the poison. The second it made contact, the entire steam of poison was obliterated in a surge of red demonic energy before she lunged at Cobra, who leapt away to avoid the devastating strike that tore up the entire rooftop he was previously standing on.

'What the hell is going on?!' Cobra thought to himself as he looked uncharacteristically shocked. 'I can't hear her thoughts! Just like back then…' He thought of his fight against Natsu seven years ago where the Salamander relied on instinct. 'No… this is different, I do hear something coming from her; but it's not her thoughts. It's her unbridled rage!'

Cobra gasped as the Devil Trigger Modeus appeared behind him, striking him in the back with Hunter's Moon, which was glowing a bright white. A large explosion erupted as Cobra was sent flying through a building. However, he broke out through the rooftop of that building before going on the attack again, blasting a sonic attack with one hand while his other unleashed a wave of poison magic, a desperate attempt at trying to overpower both of them.

"Demon Sword: Chaotic Moon!" Modeus shot Hunter's Moon forward, sending a massive red-moon shaped projectile at the combined attack. When both attacks met, it created a large explosion that seemed to nullify both; but shooting out of the smoke was Erza, the aura around her and her eyes glowing a bright red as she snarled, almost like a wild animal, before thrusting her spear at Cobra's exposed chest, sending a wave of destructive demonic power throughout his body that caused him to scream in agony as he was sent flying through the air.

'Even if I try to focus my hearing on Modeus, it doesn't mean a damn thing if I let Titania get in close!' He saw the look of rage in her eyes as she came close once again. 'It's almost like she's lost in some berserker rage! The power of that Devil Arm must be overwhelming her!' He twirled his hands to create a cyclone of his poison magic, hoping to blast Titania back. But her armor protected her from the poison before she sliced all around it with her spear, causing it all to explode, the resulting shockwave knocking Cobra away even further.

'If Cobra can't predict her movements, then it means Erza's mind is slowly being overwhelmed. I have to stop her!' Modeus thought as he flew in his Devil Trigger, aiming to catch the raging Titania before she did something she could never take back.

Cobra landed on another rooftop as Erza landed with a thud and growled at him, her rage seething further. "No… No! Stay away, you damn freak!" Cobra thrusted his hands to the ground, coating the entire rooftop in his poison magic; but Erza shot through it, straight to Cobra at break-neck speed, even as he desperately put up his defense, creating a wall of poison; but Erza cut through it with her demonic spear, which exploded behind her.

"Even my Dragon Force can't stop her!" Cobra exclaimed as the raging Erza sliced across his chest, engulfing him in a flash of destructive demonic power, causing Cobra to scream in pain again as he fell flat on his back, almost near the edge of the rooftop. Erza stomped her foot on his chest to pin him down, as she raised her spear.

'Is this it…? Am I going to die…?! Without even seeing her again!? Cubellios!'

Erza roared as she brought her spear down, only for a demonic hand to catch her arm, and another to grab her shoulder and halt her attack, the tip of the spear only an inch from Cobra's face.

"Erza, that's enough!" Modeus forced her to face him, her look of animalistic rage facing his calm demeanor, even in his Devil Trigger. "You can't let this power take you. Be strong. Use your will and come back. I know you. You're too strong to lose yourself, so come back. Please."

Hearing the words of a familiar friend, the words of someone who brought comfort and joy to her, caused her expression to soften and her rage to slowly diminish. The demonic aura around her began to fade, as did the crimson glow of her eyes. After a few deep breaths, the aura vanished completely as Erza returned to her normal demeanor, despite still clad in her Armadura Diabla.

"Modeus… I…. I'm sorry." She looked away with partial shame. "You warned me about using this armor… I guess I'm not as strong as I think."

"It's alright." He assured, a small yet understanding smile forming on his demonic face. "I know you'll master it. Because you have your friends to help pull you back, should you lose yourself."

"I know." Erza nodded with a smile of her own.

Suddenly, Cobra leapt into the air above them. "You idiots let your guard down!" They both turned to face him with readied expressions and stances, expecting something like this, even as he readied a massive combined attack of his sound and poison magics. "This ends now! Time to die Titania, Demon of the Moon!"

However, right before he could, his hearing picked up something. It was the voice of a young woman, who spoke in a soothing tone.

"It's alright, don't be scared. There's no need to worry."

This was the voice of Kinana, the battle being near one of the shelters set up by the Rune Knights where Kinana, along with the exhausted Makarov, were comforting some frightened children taking refuge with them.

"Cubellios…!?" Cobra's attack stopped, the color fading from his face as he felt his heart skip a beat. "It's… impossible… how… how is she…?"

His shocked musings were interrupted as the Devil Trigger Modeus and armored Erza appeared above him, both their weapons pulled back and glowing white and red respectively.

"Now whose let their guard down?!" Erza told him.

"You are right. It is time to end this. With your defeat!" Modeus declared.

*SLASH!*

Both Hunter's Moon and the Armadura Diabla's spear sliced through Cobra as both warriors slid on the heels of their feet on the rooftop across from Cobra. A massive glowing X formed on Cobra's chest before he was shot up in an explosion mixing white and red demonic energy, causing him to give one final cry as his form was sent flying through the sky, signaling his defeat.

"He heard it, didn't he? The voice of the friend he spoke of." Erza said as she and Modeus both stood tall together.

"I cannot say for certain, but I would like to believe it." He replied. "He may have been an enemy, but I do hope that someday, somehow, he is able to find peace."

"As do I." Erza said sincerley before she and Modeus turned to the fight against the Savior, the giant artificial demon having explosions erupt around it. "Come on, it's time to put an end this madness."

"Yes." Modeus agreed as he picked up Erza and flew toward the battle. "With what little power we have left, we'll use it to help our friends and finish this!"

---

Kiana gave a gasp, standing up with all the people taking shelter, Makarov right beside her. "It's… him."

"Kinana…? What are you…?" Makarov, in his exhausted and injured state, didn't quite understand.

"Yes! I can hear his voice!" She looked up toward the sky to see a flash of light flying across the sky and about to land near the area. "And there's the shooting star!" She ran out of the barrier and in the direction she saw the projectile crash. "It's true! That is him!"

"Kinana!" Makarov called out to her, but she was not about to stop.

'Erik!' She thought as an emotional and teary smile formed on her face as she continued to run. 'You've come back to me!'

---

"I'm not scared of your power!" Midnight stated as he used his Reflector to divert the energy bolts Dante shot at him with a thrust of his Rebellion. "Attack all you want, but they wont' touch me! And your Dreadnaught will burn itself out! So why don't I help it along the way?!" He shot several Dark Capriccio attacks at Dante's Dreadnaught form, having them criss-cross across his body repeatedly. "All the good it'll do for you to absorb that power if you can't even use it! You should have relied more on your experienced Devil Trigger than this new power!"

"Do you ever shut up!?" Dante exclaimed as he used all the gathered demonic power to explode the platform beneath him, sending him straight towards the surprised Midnight, where he struck his Zero Caduto form with a slice of Rebellion, hitting him with enough force to send him crashing down into another hovering platform. "I hate it when someone talks more than I do."

Even in his Zero Caduto state, Midnight felt a diagonal gash across his chest from where Rebellion struck him. 'He was able to utilize the energy he accumulated to close the gap and strike me. Clever.' He pulled himself up as Dante landed in front of him, but quickly fell to his knees, causing the transformed Midnight to smirk. 'But futile.'

'Damn it!' Dante cursed as he felt his power draining, his Dreadnaught form vanishing along with it as he turned back into his human form. 'He's right! I should have used my Devil Trigger instead of a form I barley even got a handle of! Stupid!'

"Do you wish to know the secret of this power?" Midnight told Dante. "How Erigor, Racer, and myself were able to become strong enough to ascend to this state? It's sacrifice. We've all had to make a sacrifice to prove ourselves worthy. Racer sacrificed his humanity, and Erigor his soul. And after my sacrifice, I've gained more power than even my father, or even his alternate personality as Master Zero, could possibly hope to achieve."

"I've heard that bullshit before." Dante said as he pushed himself to his feet. "So let's just skip the monologue and get back to fighting already?! I can still kick your ass, even without my Dreadnaught form."

"No, I think I've had enough. It's time for you to become a traveler of the void, Son of Sparda." Midnight twirled his hands, generating dark green magic around both before clasping them together. "Genesis Zero!"

The second Midnight clasped his hands, something akin to a black hole opened in-between the pair as countless dark ghostly figures emerged from it. "Go forth, travelers of the void! I want you to consume his soul! His memory! Consume his very existence! Devour him! For the sake of your master!"

All the ghosts shot toward Dante and began to swarm him. He tried to fight them off with swings from Rebellion, but it didn't even slow them down as they encompassed him almost completely. They pulled him straight into the black hole they originated from before it vanished completely, leaving no trace of Dante whatsoever.

Midnight took a few breaths, even in his Zero Caduto form, it still took quite a bit of energy. But soon, he began to cackle before it erupted into full blown laughter. "Yes! Yes! I did it! Did you see me, Father?! I just wiped a Son of Sparda from existence! He is forever trapped in darkness, just like how his precious cousin will cease to exist!" He calmed down slightly as he glanced evilly toward the Savior as everyone else continued to do battle with it.

"Of course, this means we won't be able to use him to complete the Savior, so it seems Sanctus will just have to settle for Nero then." Midnight mused. "But it doesn't matter. Either way, our utopia shall finally come to fruition; while this rotten world will be lost forever!"

---

Nero wielded the Masayoshi once more as he clashed the katana repeatedly against Imitatia's rose sword. As their blades locked, Nero quickly drew Blue Rose and fired at Imitatia, which she swiftly blocked with her flower shield before slicing with it at Nero up his chest to force him back; but he simply threw out his Devil Bringer fist to send a transparent fist Imitatia's way, which she blocked again with her shield, though the impact was still enough to knock Imitatia back, which Nero pressed on with by slicing Masayoshi repeatedly to send several slicing waves toward her, which she avoided and dodged gracefully, though this did put her on the defensive, even as Nero zoomed at her to close the gap and clashed blades again.

"Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame!" Natsu brought a large fireball down toward Sanctus, which he quickly sliced with the Sparda sword, allowing the severed fire balls to fly past him and explode. Sanctus then hovered in the air and held the Devil Sword up to produce several laser beams that shot down at Natsu, which he could scarcley avoid, even as one struck his side and sent him rolling toward the still-imprisoned Lucy and Kyrie.

Natsu glanced towards both of them, before an idea came to him. "Hey Warren! Are you still there?!" Natsu tried to reach out through their telepathic link as he quickly ran to dodge the energy projectiles that Sanctus shot at him.

"Yeah, I'm here Natsu!" Warren replied through their link. "Everyone's giving their all to fight the Savior! But if you don't stop Sanctus…!"

"Connect to Lucy!" Natsu told him as he leapt toward Sanctus, throwing out a flaming punch, which Sanctus shielded himself from with another barrier before he summoned more demonic lanterns which shot towards Natsu, one struck his right arm and the other his left leg to bring him down to his knees. "She's right in front of me! Connect me to her!"

"Hang on… I'll try…!" Warren replied as Natsu rolled out of the way as Sanctus flew toward him to slice the Sparda sword, but the Dragon Slayer was still able to avoid it. "Natsu, I think I have a connection! It's somewhat blocked, but since you're so close you might be able to…"

That was all he needed to hear as Natsu leapt over Sanctus and landed on the demonic heart, throwing a flaming punch to try and break out Lucy and Kyrie. "Lucy! Listen to me! You have to fight this! I know you're strong enough! Don't let these guys win!"

"How foolish." Sanctus appeared behind him to slash the Sparda blade at his back, knocking him across the ground. "Even if you are able to connect via telepathy, she cannot help you. Even if all my comrades fall, so long as I still stand, she cannot escape, nor can she gain control of the Infinity Clock."

"LUCY!" Natsu still called out to her, ignoring Sanctus.

"N-Natsu…" He heard the combined voices of Lucy and Kyrie in his head.

"Lucy! I'm here!" Natsu said as he pushed himself up.

"Natsu… you have to tell Michelle… the truth…."

The Fire Dragon Slayer gasped as he heard something that made him look in clear shock and even horror before he turned with a hateful glare toward Sanctus.

"You killed Lucy's dad!?"

That got the attention of Nero and Imitatia, halting their battle. "What…?!" Nero questioned as Imitatia's single eye widened in surprise.

"What are you babbling about?" Sanctus questioned.

"Lucy told me everything!" Natsu exclaimed hatefully. "You used some kind of weird mind-magic through Michelle to get her dad sick, just so she can give us the clock hand!"

"So, they were able to connect to the girl with telepathy." Klodoa commented as he hovered toward Sanctus. "I guess it's because the Savior's incomplete, so those two girls still have some form of individual thought."

"Most likely." Sanctus agreed with a slight sigh. "And I see no point in denying it now, but yes. Jude Heartfilia did perish by my hands, albeit indirectly and through Imitatia, but my hands all the same."

That caused Imitatia to gasp as Nero's glare hardened, as if he didn't have enough reason to hate Sanctus. "You sick bastard!"

"I admit, it was rather underhanded." Sanctus replied. "But we need a blood descendant of Anna Heartfilia as well as a child of Sparda in order to fully harness the Infinity Clock's power. Though young Lucy was reportedly missing the past seven years, along with most of your guild, I was certain that a familial connection could be the key to locating her. And even if we couldn't, we could have simply cloned her."

"But lucky for us, she came back!" Klodoa added. "And dear sweet Imitatia was able to find and bring her straight to us!"

"And what about Kyrie?! Why her?!" Nero shouted.

"Her Arc of Seraph, my boy." Sanctus explained. "More than simply healing magic, one of the sacred lost magics, said to be among the first wielded by humanity. Despite your respective bloodlines, you, Dante, and Lucy are all mortal beings and there is the clear risk of your bodies breaking down under the stress of the Infinity Clock's raw power, and thus we'd lose the ability to control it."

"But with the sweet Kyrie's own magic power, once all three of your bodies merge together, you would manifest as the Core of the Savior!" Klodoa declared. "An immortal vessel to house the infinite power to never expire or deteriorate! And lucky for you, Nero, you now have that honor!"

"What about Dante?" Natsu glared. "Weren't you trying to do the same for him?!"

"Sorry, but that half-demon brat isn't an option anymore." Klodoa revealed. "I just got word from Midnight that Dante has been sucked into the void of Genesis Zero, and unfortunately for him, that's a one-way trip with no way out. He's pretty much been erased from this world!"

"And he will not be the only one." Sanctus said. "The core remains incomplete with just young Lucy and Kyrie, but once you've been put into it as well Nero, all three of your bodies and minds will fade and merge together into one singular entity. You will cease to exist."

This revelation caused Natsu, Nero, and Imitatia to gasp in shock and anger, particularly for the former two while Imitatia couldn't believe what she just heard.

"Is… Is that true…?" She stuttered, looking toward Sanctus. "No…! You can bring Cousin Dante back!"

"No can do. Like I said, Genesis Zero is a one-way trip. Stick a fork in him, cause Dante is done!" Klodoa laughed.

"But… he… and Big Sister… we were supposed to be together forever!" Imitatia continued to stutter. "And… Mr. Jude… he wasn't…"

"Oh, but he was." Sanctus confirmed with a grin. "His life came to an end by your hands, albeit unknowingly, but you are just as guilty as I am. And as for what I told you about your little 'promised land' of you and your so-called family being together, that was a lie. I only told you that to secure your allegiance, and you have served your purpose. You delivered the clock hand to Fairy Tail, set the events of this orchestration into motion, and even delivered me Lucy, Dante, and Nero. We have everything we need, and I thank you sincerely, Imitatia. Thank you for betraying your family for me." He sneered.

Imitatia's only visible eye shook as tears leaked out almost automatically. "No… No." She dropped her sword and let it clatter on the ground. "My deepest wish… My one true prayer… THIS ISN'T WHAT I WANTED!" She screamed as she flung her shield and embedded it in the wall just above the heart where Lucy and Kyrie were trapped in, pulling herself in close thanks to the vine attaching her arm to the shield. "SISTER! COUSIN!"

She landed in front of them; but Natsu and Nero were back on their feet and tried to rush and stop her. "Get away!" Nero exclaimed.

"MOVE!" The sobbing Imitatia screamed as she batted them both away and turned back to the heart. "SISTER! COUSIN! PLEASE!" She sliced her shield's rotating blades at the heart, much to Natsu and Nero's shock, as she tried desperately to cut Lucy and Kyrie out, calling to the former as well as Dante, even though he wasn't present. "PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I'M SO SORRY! PLEASE!"

Despite being imprisoned, unable to voice a response or even move, as well as being partially merged together, Lucy and Kyrie could see and hear what was going on.

'Michelle…' Their partially connected minds were drawn back to Lucy's memories of Michelle and her time in Fairy Tail. 'All of your tears… Your appetite… Your clumsiness… Poor Michelle… you really were suffering all along… weren't you.'

"You're both so cool, I'm jealous. You've each suffered severe hardship, but despite it you rose above the darkness, seeking to fulfill not only your own dreams, but each other's, and even that of your friends."

"You said you follow your cause without listening to your emotions. That's just a strategy to avoid feeling guilty. Harden your heart to suffering and you can justify any decision."

"I'm sorry… I really do love you... Cousin Dante."

"Well, this is an unfortunate turn of events." Klodoa said in disappointment. "First Credo, now this?"

Sanctus however was unfazed. "No matter, she served her purpose. And I'll dispose of her like the garbage she is." He thrusted his hand forward, channeling his own demonic power to take back that what was used to animate her.

Imitatia gasped, her body engulfed in a red aura as she literally felt the life being sucked away from her. "Sister… Cousin…" She reached out one final time before her body shrank and condensed in a flash of light. When the light faded, all that remained was a hand-made doll that fell to the ground, much to the surprise of Natsu and Nero.

"She's… a doll…?" Nero muttered before glaring at the chuckling Sanctus.

"Of course, this means only one seal remains, but now I have full control over the Savior."

"I know, forget all that baggage." Klodoa laughed. "Let what's left of the Order and Neo Oracion Seis be washed away with the rest of the old world."

Natsu growled as he felt his rage and hatred boil like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment. "You… You monster…!" Something inside that had been dormant had just awoken. And it gave Natsu an extra burst of energy that he leapt straight toward Sanctus, much faster than anyone could have thought as he was struck by a fist that carried a burning fire as well as an electric charge. The force was enough to send Sanctus crashing into the wall on the other side of the chamber.

"What the…!?" Klodoa exclaimed in surprise.

Sanctus pulled himself up and could only gasp as he saw Natsu standing on his own two feet, engulfed in not only fire, but also lightning. He had managed to re-awaken his Lightning-Flame Dragon Mode.

"Lightning?!" Sanctus questioned. "Impossible… he is only a Fire Dragon…" He was then struck by a massive transparent blue demonic fist, that was roughly the same size of his own body, pounding him further into the wall. The fist retracted back toward Nero, who had been engulfed in a bright blue flash of light, manifesting his own unique Devil Trigger of the 'demonic spirit' floating above and around him like armor as his own body surged with a bright blue demonic aura, and his eyes glowed red.

"Wha- wha… are you kidding me…?!" Klodoa blinked in an expression of confusion and horror. "That little experiment has his own Devil Trigger?!"

Natsu and Nero both stood together, side-by-side, in their respective transformations of Lightning-Flame Dragon Mode and Devil Trigger, both glaring with pure hatred at the recovering Sanctus Diabolica.

"You like messing with people, huh?! You like screwing around with their heads and hearts?!" Natsu exclaimed. "Well how about we screw around with your insides!?"

Nero held the Masayoshi tightly in his demonic hand. "Let's kill this bastard." He thrusted his katana forward, sending a transparent version of it into Sanctus, pricing through his body before flinging it toward himself, pulling Sanctus in close and allowing Natsu to deck him across the face with a fist charged with fire and lightning to send him crashing into the ceiling.

However, Sanctus was quick to recover as his glowing red energy wings kept him airborne, the demonic aura around him surging brighter before he shot the Devil Sword Sparda forward to send multiple energy blasts at the pair before they both leapt to meet him with blazing swords and fists.

---

Dante couldn't see, hear, or feel anything around him. He floated in an empty void and couldn't even move. To say it was suffocating was an understatement. Though he was still alive, he knew that much at least as he heard his own cursing thoughts.

'Damn it all! Why didn't I just use my Devil Trigger?! Shit! I wasn't thinking clearly! I got too emotional! I've been emotional since coming here! What these bastards did to my old man's body… what they did to Lucy… Michelle…! God damn it!'

"You mustn't blame yourself. It's not your fault, but mine."

Before he even had a chance to register the familiar voice, a bright white light shined in front of him before he was completely encompassed by it.

Dante could feel his body again, he could see and hear. Though he still appeared to be floating in a void of some sort, it didn't feel as cold as before. It actually felt somewhat warm.

"What…? What's going…?"

"Dante!" He turned around, hearing a pair of voices speaking somewhat simultaneously. He looked in shock to see Lucy as well as Kyrie, the later hanging above the former as a pair of glowing transparent chains kept them tethered together with chains connecting their necks, arms, legs, and waists.

"Lucy…! And… it's Kyrie, right? Where are we?"

"A place that won't exist for much longer." Michelle appeared before all three of them, in initial appearance of when they first met her, rather than her form of Imitatia. "Warren's Telepathy allowed Natsu to briefly connect with Lucy, and by extension, the rest of your friends. Kyrie is here as well because both she and Lucy are partially merged together within the heart of the Savior. I'm using the last of the energy that was used to animate me to connect to that telepathic link and bring us all together."

"Animate you? What are you talking about?" Dante asked in confusion.

Michelle provided her answer in the form of her most recent memory, appearing in front of them like a vision of sorts. The most recent memory of her being turned back into her original form as a doll.

"You're… a toy…?" Dante didn't expect that.

"Here, I'll show you. You deserve to know." Michelle used her energy to show her own memories to all three of them.

"Lucy?" Jude Heartfilia stood with his wife as the toddler Lucy held the doll in her arms.

"What do you think, dear? Do you like her?" Layla asked.

"Oh yeah! She's the best birthday present ever!" Little Lucy cheered. "And she's gonna be my new little sister!"

"That's wonderful. Take good care of her, okay?" Layla told her.

"I need to think of a nice name for her! Like Angeles! Yeah!" Little Lucy praised.

Layla giggled. "Um…why don't you go with something more feminine?"

"Do you remember how much fun we had? The mansion was so big, that it felt like a castle to us." Michelle said with a warm smile as they all saw more happy memories of Lucy and the Michelle-doll. "You made me so many beautiful outfits out of nothing but paper and flowers, we went everywhere together. And we weren't the only ones."

"Here, I want to introduce you to someone!" A new memory appeared of Little Lucy leading the younger Dante and Vergil around the corner of the mansion's garden to a child's tea party set where the doll-Michelle was sitting. "Dante, Vergil, meet my little sister, Michelle!"

Little Vergil's eyelids lowered slightly. "That's a toy, Lucy."

"Nuh-uh! She's my little sister!" Little Lucy pouted as she hugged the doll tightly.

"Awe, she's cute. But not as cute as you, Lucy." Little Dante teased as he playfully patted her head, causing Little Lucy to pout even further.

"I'm sure you and Vergil both knew I was a doll, but that didn't matter to me. The four of us had so much fun that day." Michelle said to Dante specifically. "We played all over the garden, you and your brother chased me and Lucy, even played pretend. I thought that was only the beginning and we'd have many more adventures just like this one. But…"

A sorrowful memory appeared, one that sucked away all the fondness. A memory of little Lucy crying over a coffin as her father stood over her.

"Mom died…" Lucy remembered, speaking with the tethered Kyrie. But even if they were forcibly connected to each other, Kyrie herself could feel all the sadness and remorse Lucy was feeling right now.

"And around the same time… my parents died to… and Vergil and I were separated." Dante remembered as well.

"I remember that." The conjoined Lucy-Kyrie spoke. "I lost my mother and my two best friends… every day I would go to mom's grave and cry, hoping that you and Vergil would come back too. I lashed out at everyone around me. I can't imagine how worried my father must have been."

"I felt so helpless." Michelle said. "Cause all I could do was watch you go through it. I wish I had been able to help you somehow, both of you." She spoke to Dante. "I had no idea what you were going through either. You, Lucy, and Vergil all suffered, and I couldn't do a thing to stop it."

They saw a memory of the doll-Michelle sitting on an empty chair in the rain as Little Lucy looked back with a sorrowful expression before walking away.

"Every time I looked at you, it reminded me of my mom." Lucy-Kyrie said. "And how much I missed her."

"I know." Michelle acknowledged. "I assumed that's why you stopped talking to me."

"Sorry, time passed, and I'd eventually forgot all about you; all three of you." Lucy-Kyrie said to Michelle and Dante.

"Given what happened, I don't blame you." Dante said in remorseful acceptance. "I forgot too. The mind can bury a lot of things it doesn't like, sometimes taking away the good stuff with it."

Another memory flashed to them, one of a remorseful Jude placing the doll-Michelle in the attic and covering up the torn painting of his family. "I'm sorry." He spoke to the doll. "She hasn't necessarily abandoned you. It's just the sorrow of losing her mother and cousins has overwhelmed her, she's so distracted she's lost sight of what's important to her. If anyone's to blame for that's, it's me. I know Sparda said we had to keep our family separated due to the kind of enemies he's made… but those boys of his were also my family. I should have been there, even if I couldn't save their parents, I could have brought them both into this home; so that Lucy could still have her cousins to play with, and you'd be there with them. But… if those boys are anything like their father… then it is my hope they can survive and find their way her. And perhaps… when they're all grown up… and they've overcome their parents' deaths… and you can not only be Lucy's little sister again… but even the cousin for Dante and Vergil as well." He said with tears in his eyes.

Dante and Lucy both felt tears rolling down their faces, even Kyrie cried, not just from the tears of their shared feelings through their forced bond, but her own genuine feelings.

"For years, I waited patiently. Hoping that one or all of you would come back." Michelle continued. "Overtime, the once lively mansion grew quiet. Eventually, it was deserted. And when someone finally came looking for me… it wasn't my big sister or my cousins."

They saw the doll-Michelle, still remaining in the attic where Jude set her there all those years ago. She was approached by Agnus, who picked up the doll with curiosity before a devilish smirk formed on his face.

"Sanctus and his followers were looking for anyone from your mother's bloodline to serve as a vessel for the Infinity Clock and form the core of the Savior." Michelle explained. "They went to the mansion to find a lead and happened to stumble upon to me. They had also gathered things of yours and even your mother that you had left behind and placed it all in the Ascension Ceremony to give me life."

The doll-Michelle laid on the center of the stone structure where the Ascension Ceremony would take place, surrounded by old clothes and belongings that belonged to both Lucy and Layla Heartfilia. The runes of the structure glowed bright red as the energy enveloped all of it, while Sanctus and Agnus watched with anticipation. When the light vanished, the humanoid form of Imitatia appeared as she lied flat on her back on the structure, slowly rising as she transformed into her appearance of Michelle.

"The power harvested from Sparda, combined with the essence left behind of Lucy and Layla Heartfilia, all of that brought me to life." Michelle continued. "I was so thankful for it, that I did exactly as I was told. I took the name 'Michelle Lobster' and set out to obtain the Infinity Clock."

The memory of her and Jude working together appeared before them. They stood together as Michelle wrote in a clipboard as Jude spoke with her.

"So, when you told us you had helped my father with his work…" Lucy-Kyrie said.

"It was the absolute truth." Michelle confirmed. "I was so happy. It broke my heart to use him, but it had to be done. I wanted the good old days back. Sanctus told me that if we could control the power of the Infinity Clock, we'd be able to create a new world however we want. He said I could create a world where the whole family was together; you two, me, Vergil, even your parents. We'd all be one happy family. Dante, Lucy, I know that you've both had your estranged relationships with Jude and Vergil, but I thought if we took away all the bad things that made you all fight each other, then we'd be happy forever. But he lied. Sanctus only said that so that I'd follow him, I was his puppet, nothing more. He… He used me to… to kill Jude."

"What?!" Dante looked at her in shock.

"Sanctus had given me a special ability, the power to enter the minds of others and subtly influence their actions." Michelle explained. "It's how you and the rest of your guild were separated the way they were, so that you and Lucy would be captured more easily. But… Sanctus used that connection to create a tumor in Jude's brain, one that would take his life."

Dante's eyes widened as he felt the color drain from his face. Lucy, and the tethered Kyrie, both hung their heads down in sorrow as they already knew this.

"But I had no idea! I didn't know until just now!" Michelle revealed, tears forming in her eyes. "I… I never wanted him to… not after how kind he was to me!"

Another memory appeared, this one of Jude on his deathbed with Michelle by his side.

"I haven't heard from them, but I know Lucy and Dante are alive out there, somewhere." Jude said. "And Vergil… that boy's now part of an official guild. Even though he hasn't responded to my letters… I'm happy in the fact he's taking care of himself. Michelle, would you go find Lucy and Dante for me? And, if you can, try to talk with Vergil too. And please, give them the clock hand. I know it'll be safe in their hands."

"Of course, I will." She said with a sad smile, knowing this was his last moment.

He gave a weak smile. "Ya know, I'm always amazed… by the power of magic. This time, I'm sure of it. You will be her little sister… and those boys' cousin… once again."

The memory of Michelle gasped, not just as Jude passed away peacefully right then and there, but that he knew. He knew the whole time who and what she really was. It didn't take long for her to cry into his bedside.

"He knew…" Michelle cried. "He knew the whole time… he didn't even question it… he just treated me so kindly… And it wasn't just him. All of Fairy Tail… the family that you both had come to find and love were so kind to me too! But I… I never wanted things to turn out like this…" She fell to her knees and cried into her hands. "I let them down! I let all of you down! Big Sister… Cousin Dante… I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm just so sorry!"

Lucy and Kyrie both cried openly, while Dante just stood there and let the tears fall, not sobbing. It was just like with Trish, she was used and manipulated as a puppet to get close and serve the vile goals of her so-called master. But she had feelings, she had a heart, one that was broken by all the pain the puppeteer put her through, that put all of them through. Despite everything, Dante knew Michelle spoke the truth.

For that reason, he kneeled to her level and pulled Michelle into an embrace, wrapping his arms around her and completely taking her by surprise.

"Michelle… I forgive you."

Not once, not in a million years, did she expect him to say those words. And even more surprising, was the tethered Lucy and Kyrie joining in and embracing Michelle as well.

"I forgive you too, Michelle. It wasn't your fault. I'm so glad you came into my life again, and I promise, I won't forget you ever again!"

Tears continued to flow down Michelle's face, only this time, they were tears of joy as she wrapped her arms around all of them.

"Kyrie…" She spoke to the other girl held against her will. "I'm sorry I got you dragged into this too! You and all your friends, and your brother! But please… hang on! I know the love between you and Nero is real! He and Natsu are going to free you and Big Sister! I just know it!"

"I know." Kyrie smiled, her voice conjoined with Lucy's, as she too had faith. "I promise, I hold no grudge against you. I hope that you are able to find peace."

Michelle's body then began to fade. "This is the last of the energy that kept me alive… so this is goodbye…. But please… tell Natsu and everyone else… that being a part of Fairy Tail… was the happiest time of my life." Those were her last words as Michelle faded away, as did the void that kept them all together.

Dante was pulled back into the void of Genesis Zero that he had been trapped in. Even though it was still as suffocating as ever, he didn't feel so helpless. Rather, he felt stronger as something inside him stirred. Or rather, the power that had always been with him, the power that awakened when he first joined Fairy Tail, that very same power had grown stronger.

'Michelle… I promise… your sacrifice won't be in vain. I know Natsu and Nero are going to get Lucy and Kyrie out and beat the shit out of the old bastard who set this damn thing up. As for me…."

His whole body began to glow with a red aura surging around him, the Rebellion glowing an especially vibrant red as vapors and tendrils of the black void were being sucked into the sword itself, the eyes in the skull at the hilt glowing an even brighter red. Dante's eyes then shot open with a bright yellow glow.

'I'm gonna break out of this shithole and bust some heads!'

---

The glowing red eyes of Midnight's Zero Caduto form widened in horror as he saw cracks in space, a bright red energy surging behind it.

"No! Impossible!" He shouted as the space in front of him suddenly exploded, the newly transformed Dante having broken out of the void, Rebellion in his hands as the sword absorbed the last of the magic from the void and used its power to break out. However, this new form of Dante was unlike anything that Midnight had seen before.

He had a very reptilian look to him, his whole body now a dark red with hands becoming claws and his feet as three-toed talons. Armored scales formed on his arms and legs that seemed like knight's armor; glowing yellow veins stretched from his legs and arms and conjoined to the center of his chest where his heart would normally be. His red jacket had also transformed into a pair of curled up, semi-chiropteran wings. His face was a dark pinkish sort of color with a red spiked ornament on his head and surrounding his glowing yellow eyes almost like a mix between a crown and a mask, with his white hair pushed back and flowing backwards.

This was his newly evolved Devil Trigger.

Midnight was so taken aback that he was caught off guard for Dante to fly straight at him, slice Rebellion with such force that it sent Midnight soaring straight up almost like a meteorite, with the roaring Dante flying after him, now even faster than his previous Devil Trigger form. Midnight tried cast his Reflector magic in an act of desperation, but Dante simply sliced Rebellion to shatter the magic itself like it were made of glass, much to Midnight's horror.

'He shattered my Reflector!? How?! Did his Devil Trigger somehow evolve!?'

Dante had appeared before Midnight again and sliced Rebellion across his chest, forcing Midnight back as he screamed in pain, a diagonal cut forming on his chest in glowing red energy from the strike.

"You made a sacrifice, huh? Don't make me laugh!" Dante glared.

Midnight glared back as both his hands charged with his Darkness Magic as he prepared to fight back. "As they say, magic comes from the heart! And the more you're willing to abandon, the greater the power you'll gain!"

Both the evolved Devil Trigger and Zero Caduto forms clashed in mid-air, flying back and forth against each other repeatedly in streaks of red and green, exchanging blows with each clash.

"When you care for someone, your deepest wish is to see them again!" Midnight stated as he blasted multiple Dark Rondo bolts at Dante, but he easily powered through them to close the gap between the pair, where Midnight fired several Dark Capriccios at Dante, but with a single slice from Rebellion, all the Capriccios were sliced to ribbons. "There's nothing more excruciating then knowing you'll never have the chance because of your own actions!" He blasted a point-blank attack of Darkness Magic, engulfing Dante completely.

However, even through the constant stream of offensive magic, a demonic arm reached through it to grab one of Midnight's forearms and forced it away, breaking off the attack, revealing Dante's new form had taken barley any damage, allowing him to thrust Rebellion forward and stab Midnight's Zero Caduto form through the shoulder. He hollered in pain, and even more so as Dante shot an exploding blast of his demonic power through the sword to blast Midnight back.

"Oh really? So what did you end up sacrificing anyway to gain this fancy power of yours?" Dante questioned.

"My future." Midnight growled as more dark green energy glowed around him, still willing to fight. "At least one in which I'll ever get to see my father again."

"What? You call that a sacrifice?" Dante questioned. "You miss your old man so much, then just go see him! Cause it sounds like he's not even dead!"

"Your pathetic guild is the reason my father and I were torn apart all those years ago!" Midnight responded bitterly. "You may not have been there at the time, but you're just as guilty by joining them!"

"Are you freaking kidding me?!" Dante growled. "You and your pals manipulated an entire small country, used Michelle, killed dozens of people, kidnapped my cousin, desecrated my old man's body, and started a god damn apocalypse just for that?! You seem more like a whiny little brat than some great destroyer! Quit your damn crying and fight me already!"

He zoomed straight at Midnight, slashing Rebellion into a barrier of Darkness Magic, but Rebellion was able to slice through that easily enough, allowing Dante to deliver a strike with the flat of his sword to Midnight's side, a kick to the back of his head, and an upward slice to send Midnight careening upwards. Dante then unleashed his Million-Stab Technique, which was even stronger than before, thrusting countless red energy bolts, which Midnight attempted to deflect with his Reflector, but the attacks broke through his magic like bullets through glass and struck Midnight all across his body, where several cracks appeared across his Zero Caduto form.

"Impossible! How am I being overpowered?!"

"I lost my old man too, and the rest of my family!" Dante appeared in front of Midnight and brought Rebellion down toward him, which Midnight caught between his hands and tried to push back as they were each engulfed in backlashes of their respective red and green energy. "I know what it's like to feel like you have nothing and to be mad at the whole world for being unfair, but you know what? I grew up! I found new people in my life who helped me to move past my grief, and they made me who I am today! That's where true strength lies, by finding what's most important to you and fighting like hell to protect it!"

"Liar! That can't be true! I was taught that sacrifice was the only way!" Midnight cried out desperately as the cracks on his transformation grew even more. But he gave out, allowing Dante to slice through him, flying past him before turning around to face him again as Midnight's eyes wavered.

"I see you for what you really are." Dante told him. "A scared little boy who's too busy being angry at the world and feeling sorry for himself to see anything else! You've been fed this 'sacrifice for power' bullshit since you were kid, haven't you? All your life, you've been a pawn to somebody else! You don't even know who you are, do you?!"

He struck Midnight, flying all around him at blinding speeds and striking him in every direction with punches, kicks, and of course, slices from Rebellion. Midnight couldn't even counterattack with Dante moving so fast and striking with twice as much force as normal, even in his previous Devil Trigger. With one more slice to send Midnight falling back slightly, he looked to his own shaking his hands as his transformation looked like it was ready to break apart at any second.

"I don't know who… I am…?" Midnight stuttering, that scared and confused little boy part of him that has been buried deep down finally coming to the surface. "I don't even know… my father…?"

"I honestly feel sorry for you. Not enough to avoid giving you the ass-kicking you deserve, of course." The Crimson Knight held Rebellion up high as a powerful red aura formed around the sword before pointing it downward and shooting at Midnight, striking him with the tip of the sword and pushing him from the sky and back toward the ground.

As Fairy Tail and their allies, including Erza and Modeus who had joined their comrades' efforts, continued the throw everything they had at the Savior, they were momentarily distracted a bright red light in the sky, which took the form of a red meteor, gunning straight for the empty cathedral in the middle of the city.

*BOOM!*

Most, if not the entire cathedral, was blasted away in an explosion from the impact. As the smoke began to dissipate, revealing the crumbled remains of the building, Dante stood in his new Devil Trigger on a pile of rubble, Rebellion hung over his shoulder before he turned back to normal in a flash of red light. He glanced back slightly to see Midnight lying unconscious, most of his body broken and covered in several bleeding gashes, maybe even in critical condition as he had lost his transformation, but he was still alive; his eyes completely white and without pupils to signal his defeat.

"The world can be a pretty dark and unfair place." Dante said to him, his back still turned. "But it's also got its bright spots too. Maybe you should start looking for that. Here's one bright side, you'll have plenty of free time in the slammer to reflect on your life choices." He chuckled at his own joke before turning toward the Savior that still hovered in the sky above them. "Welp, looks the rest is up to you two. Natsu, Nero, time to wrap up this crazy party."

---

The Devil Trigger Nero roared as he clashed the Masayoshi against the Devil Sword Sparda wielded by Sanctus Diabolica repeatedly. When both blades locked, Nero pulled his free hand back and shot a transparent fist from his demonic-spirit form that sent Sanctus flying to the other side of the chamber, where he met Natsu in his Lightning-Flame mode. Before Sanctus had a chance to retaliate, Natsu struck his face with a kick that engulfed him in fire and then an after-shock of lightning, leaving him open for Natsu to punch him repeatedly, his right fist coated in fire, and his left fist in lightning, striking with such speed and force that it kept Sanctus suspended in the air before Natsu crossed his arms together to catch Sanctus in the middle of a cross stream of his dual elements.

Klodoa could only watch this one-sided beat down with sweat pouring down his skull face like a waterfall. 'I don't like the looks of this! Midnight's been beaten and it looks like Sanctus is on his last legs! So… I think I'll just see myself out!' He quickly slipped away from the fight, pretty much abandoning Sanctus.

Sanctus flew back desperately, throwing up his shield to protect himself while also thrusting the Devil Sword Sparda forward to blast multiple red demonic beams at Natsu to try and push him back; but the Devil Trigger Nero swung the Masayoshi, channeling its power as a copy of the Yamato, to slice through Sanctus' barrier and right through Sanctus himself, causing blood to gush out from his front and back as he fell toward the ground. Nero then leapt in the air above him and raised his fist to bring down an even larger transparent energy fist to pound him further into the ground. Nero pulled away to allow Natsu to rush right in front of him as he tried to pull himself up.

"Lightning-Flame Dragon Roar!"

He blasted a massive breath attack, twice as large as his typical one, which mixed both his normal fire as well as lightning. Sanctus was unable to defend against it as his body was thoroughly burnt and electrocuted from the inside out.

Sanctus stumbled back across the ground, nearly all his strength was gone as he fell back toward the heart where Lucy and Kyrie were still trapped in. He looked in terror as Lightning-Flame Natsu and Devil Trigger Nero gave him the most hated death-glares they could possibly give.

"The power of Sparda… Why won't you give me strength?!" He pleaded to the sword. "Am I not worthy?!"

"Hell no!" Natsu shouted. "After all the pain and suffering you caused to everyone, you can't even hold a candle to Sparda! Don't go acting like you're the big hero, you damn monster!"

"I never could take those legends too literally myself." Nero said. "But I do know Sparda had a heart, a heart that could love another person, a human, and that is what you lack!"

Getting desperate, Sanctus snarled as he pointed his sword to Lucy and Kyrie, but this only caused Natsu and Nero to glare harder. They both marched closer to him, which only caused him to shake with fear.

"Don't move or I'll…" Before he could finish, Natsu appeared in front of him in a flash of lightning, striking him with an uppercut to knock him into the air before unleashing his last attack.

"Advance Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Flame Lotus Exploding Lightning Blade!" One fist coated in lightning, the other in fire, Natsu twirled them both to unleash an enormous vortex of both elements, engulfing Sanctus in both, causing him to cry out in agony.

Nero was the one to deliver the finishing move, channeling all the power from his Devil Trigger as he held the Masayoshi back, before quickly swinging it to send a slice through Natsu's attack and through Sanctus himself; cleaving the attack and Sanctus clean in half down the middle. Sanctus would give one final scream in agony as his body disintegrated in light before disappearing forever.

All that remained as the Devil Sword Sparda as it fell from the air, only to be caught by Natsu as he held a single hand up. His Lightning-Flame Dragon Mode soon vanished as he fell on his knees, using the large sword in his hands to prompt himself up slightly; with Nero following in a similar situation of his Devil Trigger wearing off and nearly falling in exhaustion himself.

Natsu gave a weak chuckle as he looked to Nero with a smirk. "We make a good team… huh…?"

Nero gave a slight smirk back before trying to push himself up. "It's… not over. We have to get them out…" He tried to make his way toward the heart, but Natsu held up his hand to stop him.

"Hold on. Hey, everyone! We just took care of Sanctus! Any more bad guys still around?!" Natsu called out through their Telepathic link shared with their friends.

"Nope, I just took care of the emo. So that should be the last of em." Dante replied back.

"Good." Natsu smirked as he turned toward the imprisoned women. "Hey Lucy, and… Kyrie, right? Listen, all the bad guys are done! You two got control of the Clock now! Turn all its crazy power on itself and destroy this damn thing once and for all!"

"Wait… they can do that…? Nero questioned in surprise.

"Yeah… Credo told us how to stop it." Natsu replied, looking down slightly, which Nero also did, remembering his friend before getting serious.

"Well, you two heard em! Let's finish this!"

---

"They're right…" Lucy said as she and Kyrie both appeared floating in a bright blue space, though both were still tethered to each other by chains, they weren't speaking or thinking together, but rather independently. "We're not bound together! We're not even bound at all!"

"We're free…" Kyrie said as their chains shattered, allowing the two to float away slightly. "I can feel the power of the Infinity Clock…"

"I feel it too." Lucy said as both their bodies glowed brightly. "So, let's finally put this power to good use!" The blonde smirked.

"Yes, let's do it!" Kyrie smirked as well as they both began to concentrate, their eyes closed.

A golden aura flowed around Lucy as the transparent projections of multiple planets and stars appeared and began to circle around her, like planets orbiting a star. Simultaneously, a white aura formed around Kyrie as four massive angelic wings made from pure white energy shined from her back.

"Our friends and loved ones fought to hell and back to try and save us and the rest of the world…" Lucy began.

"Now it's our turn to pull some weight!" Kyrie finished as both their eyes shot open, revealing their eyes to be glowing white with the golden emblem of the Order of the Sword shining in the center.

The Infinity Clock itself then flashed in between the pair as they shot their hands forward, blasting gold and white energy at the Clock. So far, it didn't appear to be taking any damage.

"Sparda and the others couldn't destroy the Clock before, but this time is different! Now we have full control of its reality-distorting powers!" Lucy declared.

"And we'll use that power to turn the Clock itself into the most brittle substance known to man! Something that can't handle the intense power!" Kyrie stated as cracks formed around the clock and quickly spread, bright light shining out from the cracks. "The power itself will disperse throughout the world, unable to be used by anybody else again!"

"Now finally, the nightmare can end! For Michelle… For Dad... For Dante… For Natsu… For all my friends in Fairy Tail" Lucy continued, the cracks spreading even further.

"For Credo… For Nero… For Coco… For all the people I love in Fortuna, and for everyone else who suffered and died by this horrible device…!" Kyrie continued as well.

"LET IT ALL END NOW!" Both young women shouted as the Infinity Clock exploded in a flash of light.

---

The Savior's entire body began to glow a bright white and golden light, causing everyone in the city of Fortuna to shield their eyes as they saw the massive artificial demon float higher and higher into the blackened sky. The Savior's body condensed within the light, becoming one with the light itself before it all exploded like a star had just been born. The bright white light shined a wave across the sky that cleared away the darkness that had formed since the Infinity Clock's release. The power of the clock itself had begun to disperse across the sky like a rainstorm of shooting stars.

Everyone in the city of Fortuna; those among Fairy Tail including Dante, Erza, Lady, Gray, Happy, Lisanna, Trish, Wendy, Modeus, Carla, Romeo, Gajeel, Panther-Lily, Gildarts, Warren, Laki, Mira, Makarov, Freed, Bickslow, Evergreen, along with their allies Morrison, Laxus, Ichiya, the Archbishop of Zentopia, Coco, Samuel, Dan, Sugarboy, Mary Hughes, Guttman, Byro, as well as Lahar, Doranbolt and the rest of the Magic Council's forces, and all the civilians, they could only look up in awe and amazement.

And it was not just in Fortuna; across Fiore, everyone could see the shooting stars that rained through the sky; even those among the other guilds such as Lyon and Sho in Lamia Scale, Milliana and the rest of Mermaid Heel, Wally and his friends in Quatro Cerberus. And of course, the remainder of Fairy Tail including Levy, Juvia, Macao, Wakaba, Alzack, Bisca, even Patty and Asuka, and the Archeological Society; they too could look up in amazement and even smiles as something inside each of them told them that the crisis was over, and it truly was. The Savior and the Infinity Clock were no more.

---

Meanwhile; Klodoa appeared to be trying to sneak away through an alleyway in the nearly wrecked city of Fortuna.

"Damn it all! First Nirvana, now this?! Why does that pesky Fairy Tail have to keep ruining everything!" Klodoa ranted. "We teamed up with a militarized demon cult! We created an army of artificial demons! We even extracted power from the body Sparda himself to turn half of the Oracion Seis into unstoppable monsters and it still wasn't enough! I guess I'll just have to become Brain III and find six more idiots who are willing to sacrifice…"

"No. You will not."

Klodoa came to a stop as a certain someone appeared in front of him. Someone who appeared to be a young man in a black and white robe with long black hair and soul-piercing red eyes that glared down at the sentient staff with pure ire. Klodoa's frustration gave way to pure terror as he recognized the man instantly.

"Y-y-y-you're…. H-h-him…! L-L-Lord… Zeref!"

"The same. It's always the same." Zeref began. "Madmen with delusions of grandeur, who would spill oceans of blood to satisfy their petty desires! Not only did you go to such horrific lengths to uncover what my dearest friends worked so hard to seal away, but you even desecrated Sparda's own body! That alone is beyond forgiveness!"

"W-w-wait! Please! T-T-There's no need to be so hasty! I-I'm sure we can…!" Klodoa's pleas were completely ignored as he was engulfed in a wave of pitch-black magic that quickly reduced the living staff to dust, which was blown away in the wind.

Zeref then closed his eyes and took a moment to collect himself. His eyes opened to reveal his eyes had turned into the gentle black as something of a grateful look formed on his face, looking upward to the stars that continued to rain across the sky.

"Sparda… Anna… They actually did it. Your son, your descendant, even Natsu… they did what we could not. They destroyed the Infinity Clock." Zeref said with a slight smile before it turned into a somewhat sad one. "I suppose I should feel pride in that, and yet we know it won't end here. How long before another crisis like this emerges because of the foolish desires of those who strive for power? But… I suppose I'm no different. At the very least… they should be allowed to savor this victory, they've earned it." He turned around and proceeded to walk away before anyone would notice his presence.

"However, it may be their last."

---

Dante looked up to see a light in the form of a shooting star slowly descending toward the courtyard in front of what was left of the cathedral. He quickly made his way there just as the light gently touched the ground and vanished to reveal Nero and Natsu, both carrying Kyrie and Lucy in their arms bridal style. Nero also had the Masayoshi tied around his back, and Natsu had the Devil Sword Sparda tied to his back as well.

A smile forming on his face, Dante quickly made his way toward them. He gave a quick glance to Nero and nodded with a slight smile, which Nero returned. Dante then turned toward Natsu and Lucy, the former giving his titular grin, while the later had an emotional smile on her face, even more so as her elder cousin caressed her cheek with his hand, causing her to cry in joy as Dante smiled emotionally.

Lucy opened up her hands in her lap to reveal the doll that was once Michelle, causing some tears to slide down Dante's cheeks as he reached one hand to hold the doll, as well as both Lucy's hands. They would never forget her.

All five of them then heard shouts of their names as they turned to see all their friends making their way toward them; each with teary eyed smiles and laughs of joy, cocky grins, or relieved smirks on his or her face. It didn't take long for all of them to come together and start celebrating not only their victory, but also being reunited with their dearest friends and family.

Admits the celebrations and reunions, Dante looked toward Natsu as well as Nero, the Salamander still giving a toothy grin, while the two Devil Hunters and Sons of Sparda had smirks of their own before exchanging a three-way high five.

Done.

Well, that's it. The battle is over. The Neo Oracion Seis and corrupted leadership of the Order of the Sword have been defeated, the Infinity Clock and Savior are destroyed for good (with Natsu having re-unlocked his Lightning-Flame Dragon Mode in the process), and everyone has been reunited. And of course, Dante's Devil Trigger has evolved to its DMC4 appearance, so you can expect it to be his new go-to transformation from this point forward (don't expect his Sin Devil Trigger to appear for a very long time).

We may have even caught a glimpse of Rebellion's true power. Since it serves as the opposite to the Yamato that can separate and split (even dimensions), I'm sure you can guess what it can do.

We even had a surprise visit from the Black Wizard to finish off Klodoa. And from the sound of it, he has plans of his own, but we'll get to that much later.

Up next, we have the epilogue chapter that'll serve as the conclusion to the Order of the Sword arc as some of the things come full circle, and a few characters have heart-to-hearts with one another (and a few surprises in store), before we get to the next arc of the Grand Magic Games and I have big plans for that arc.

Thank you all for your patience and support throughout this story, I had so much fun writing this chapter and this arc in general, and I hope you all enjoyed reading it. See ya next time on Fairy May Cry!