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.

17. The Black Wings of The Caduto

Hi everyone, thanks again for waiting. I am so glad my last chapter received such a positive reception for my Nero reveal, I was quite nervous about how you would all feel toward it. But yep, in this continuity, Nero is an artificial son of Sparda, making him Dante and Vergil's younger half-brother; not to mention Sparda's corpse is in possession of the Order. Things are only going to get more interesting from this point forward as all parties involve collide in a battle that could shake the world to its core.
With all that being said, let's get started.

Note: Whoever has been working with my TVTropes page for this story, great job so far. I would appreciate it if you kept going because it seems to stop at a certain point with the Edolas arc. I'd help too, but I have no idea how to work that page. Sorry. But I truly do appreciate all the support. Thank you.

The Black Wings of The Caduto

The Exceed quartet comprised of Happy, Carla, Panther-Lily, and the newly joined Samuel flew through the skies, hoping to reach their destination before their enemies did.

"Hey Samuel, are you sure the Neo Oracion Seis are going to target this church?" Happy asked.

"Quite certain. My calculations are rarely wrong." Samuel replied. "And while I did calculate that you would be here as well, I still as to am unsure how you were able to deduce this location would be our enemy's target."

"One of our guildmates has fortune telling abilities." Carla explained. "It's similar to my clairvoyance, except she can't quite see the future the way I was able to."

"I see. Fortune telling has never been my strong suit, so I'll have to take your word for it." Samuel responded.

"Tell me Sammy, were you able to deduce the reason the Neo Oracion Seis have been attacking churches?" Lily asked. "I highly doubt it's for simple arson."

"It is most likely connected to the Infinity Clock, but I don't know why exactly. Hopefully we'll learn the reason for it once we reach our destination." Samuel answered.

Soon, the four Exceeds spotted the building in a distance. "Over there! I can see the church!" Happy pointed out.

Carla happened to glance down and noticed a pair of individuals appearing out of nowhere along the path. "It would seem we are not the only ones investigating the matter."

The Exceeds flew down closer toward the duo, who turned around and just noticed the flying cats as well. "Hey, isn't that the Lahar-guy from the Magic Council?" Happy asked before noticing the man next to him. "And that's…"

His, Carla's, and Lily's eyes widened. Despite his messy appearance, there was no forgetting that man. "It's Doranbolt."

"It appears we have company." Lahar observed as Mest's eyes widened upon the sight of the familiar Exceeds while his pupils shook. Though he heard from Lahar they were alive, but to actually see them after so long… and to see that they haven't even aged a day… it was something else.

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Happy asked the pair.

"I take it you are investigating the Neo Oracion Seis' attack as well?" Carla assumed.

"That is correct." Lahar confirmed. He then took notice of Samuel and the attire he wore. "You are from the Order of the Sword."

"I am indeed." Samuel responded. "My name is Samuel. Listen, I understand the Magic Council has grown suspicious of the Order and you are right to do so. A select few individuals within the Order are cooperating with the Neo Oracion Seis."

That took Lahar by surprise before his eyes narrowed. 'So, they are connected.'

"I recognize that look of suspicion." Samuel said. "Let me be clear that not the entirety of the Order is aligned with those diabolical dark wizards. You cannot judge every person affiliated with us in the same light as the guilty."

"I see." Lahar replied. "If you were to share more information with me, I might be able to help with that. I understand that you yourself don't trust the Magic Council, and I don't blame you." He spoke not just to Samuel but the Exceeds of Fairy Tail as well. "But if we can cooperate with each other, it would go much more smoothly. I'd prefer to use precision rather than a blunt instrument."

"Such as an Etherion, correct?" Lily asked somewhat accusatory, not that Lahar blamed him.

"Yes." The Rune Knight commander confirmed. "If we work together, then perhaps we can eliminate the truly guilty with minimal collateral damage and spare as many innocent people as we can."

The Exceeds shared glances with each other as they contemplated the decision. "Maybe we should. I mean, we're after the same thing, aren't we?" Happy said.

"I suppose it would make sense." Carla accepted.

"Agreed." Lily nodded.

"I will tell you everything I know, provided you do the same." Samuel said.

"Of course." Lahar nodded. "Thank you."

The Exceeds' eyes then set on Mest as he continued to stare at them with shaky eyes. The Fairy Tail Exceeds had mixed feelings upon seeing him; they remember how he infiltrated their guild seven years ago with the intent on disbanding them, not to mention he abandoned them at the height of the battle against Grimoire Heart. At the same time, however, he wasn't an evil person as he did try to help them evacuate, not that they agreed with that choice either.

"Wow Mest, you really let yourself go." Happy commented on his appearance.

"It's… It's really you… I… I had thought you died…"

"Reports of our supposed demise were greatly exaggerated." Lily responded.

"Wendy… is… is she…?" Mest stuttered.

"She is alive." Carla confirmed. "But you will not come anywhere near her!"

"I… I understand…" Mest looked away, but there was a great deal of relief in his eyes upon hearing of the young Dragon Slayer's fate. "I'm sorry…"

Lahar coughed his throat to clear the awkward tension and get back on the mission. "So, in regard to the church burnings; you should know that each of the sites the Neo Oracion Seis attacked, there was at least one body discovered. But they were not affiliated with the church system, neither priest nor nun. In fact, there were no records to confirm the very existence of these peole whatsoever."

"Wait, seriously?!" Happy questioned as the Exceeds looked in surprise while continuing along the path toward the church.

"And when we tried to question the survivors, they denied any sort of allegation that they were sheltering these people." Lahar continued. "It is as if they didn't want their existence coming to light."

"Much like how there was little evidence of the Infinity Clock's own existence." Samuel said. "Which means they are indeed connected."

"Hopefully we'll learn what this connection is and it might give us some insight on how to stop them." Lily stated.

---

Meanwhile, the team composed of Lisanna, Gray, and Freed had arrived in an icy cave, confronting the smirking Gloria as she stood over the ledge looking down on them.

"Oh my, some little fairies came flying into the thunderstorm." Gloria joked.

"I remember her from the tomb. She's with the Neo Oracion Seis." Freed stated as he drew his sword.

"Yeah, she's that lightning-chick!" Gray took a combat stance.

"The name's Gloria, also known as the White Tempest." She drew her dual curved knives. "I so appreciate you kids coming out to play with me."

"We're not playing! We're here to stop you!" Lisanna glared.

"Damn straight! Ice-Make: Lance!" He shot a multitude of ice-lances straight at her, but she coated herself in a surge of white lightning before shooting straight up to avoid Gray's attack before blasting herself straight towards Gray; but Freed was quick to anticipate her movements, blocking her strike with his sword before swinging it to knock her away, though she landed on her feet.

"Someone's quick on their feet." Gloria commented.

'I can tell even from a glance that her affinity for Lightning is as strong as that of Laxus. And as someone who's worked alongside him for so long, I'm more than equipped to deal with such an opponent.' Freed thought to himself before going on the attack. "Dark Ecriture: Absolute Shadow!" He coated himself in his dark armor and shot at Gloria with intense speed, but she matched his with her own white lightning-aura as she leapt away but he was quick to give chase.

"Wow, you're pretty quick. And I can tell you're not wasting any time. I like a man who gets straight to the point." Gloria teased as she drew her curved knives to block and parry the sword strike from the armored Freed.

"Do not even think about trying to suede me! My loyalty lies only to my comrades!" Freed stated. "Such as keeping your eyes solely focused on me!"

Gray and Lisanna, in her Harpy-Take Over, both leapt above Gloria from behind for a combined attack. "Ice-Make: Arrows!" Forming a large ice-bow in his arms, he shot a hail of ice-arrows like a rapid-fire machine gun. Lisanna added to the attack with a powerful gust of wind from a flap of her wings, increasing the ice-arrows speed straight toward Gloria.

However, Gloria stood her ground as she generated a massive arc of white lightning around her body to not only force Freed back, but even shield herself from the combined attack. This caught them by surprise and left the Lisanna and Gray open for Gloria to shoot past them in an surge of her power, slashing at their sides with her blades to knock them down.

"She's about as fast as Trish, if not faster!" Gray grunted as he held his side in pain while Gloria simply landed on a taller ledge to literally look down upon them with a taunting smirk. The armored Freed tried to attack her as he zoomed in her direction, but she flashed away from his attack and re-appeared behind him to point her curved knives toward his back and blast him with a concentrated bolt of lightning that broke through his armor, sending him tumbling toward the ground in a heap.

"No! Freed!" Lisanna shouted as she tried to pull herself up, only for Gloria to appear behind her, ready to strike a lighting blast at her. However…

A certain armored man appeared in-between them with his shield, which reflected the attack straight at Gloria, catching her in her own lightning blast to knock her back, but she recovered in the air before landing on her feet. "Well, this is a surprise."

Both Gray and Lisanna looked in shock as they recognized the man. "Wait… aren't you…?" She was suddenly swept off her feet and carried bridal style.

"Oh, my sweet Lisanna! How dare she attempt to strike you in such a barbaric manner!" Dan Straight commented, acting like a chivalrous hero, much to the dismay of the aforementioned girl in his arms. "Well don't you worry, cause your hero and future husband Dan Strait is here to save you…!"

Gray quickly appeared to kick Dan back, forcing him to drop Lisanna. "Will you quit the whole Prince Charming act?! Now ain't the time for it!" He scolded the recovering Dan.

"He's right." Lisanna stood up with a slight glare in his direction as well before her features relaxed. "But… thanks for saving me."

"You are with the Order of the Sword, correct?" Freed asked as he stood by his comrades' side. "What are you doing here?"

Dan quickly got back to his feet and got serious. "You guys were right about how shifty the higher ups in the Order are. Believe it or not, I do have a moral compass and I can tell right from wrong. So, I'm here to help." He stated as he wielded his lance and shield.

"Well, we could use it." Lisanna accepted. "Gloria here is a lot tougher than she looks."

"You sure about this, Lisanna?" Gray asked. "Guy's a total creep."

"Yeah, but at least he's honest." She replied with a small sweatdrop. "And we need all the help we can get right now."

"Alright, fine." Gray accepted.

"Then let us take her together!" Freed stated as he drew his sword once more.

Gloria laughed as she faced her four foes. "This should be fun."

---

Meanwhile, a powerful explosion erupted in a nearby forest as Cobra stood in the middle of the crater, completely unscathed. Max and Evergreen laid on their knees, beaten while Erza and Modeus faced their enemy.

"Evergreen, Max, stay down! We'll handle this!" Modeus told his comrades as he drew Hunter's Moon.

"Your name is Modeus." Cobra looked directly toward him. "You were an apprentice to the Dark Knight Sparda, now a member of Fairy Tail."

"And you are Cobra." He replied. "You possess the ability read minds. In addition, you are an artificial Dragon Slayer with your affinity being poison. I've been told much about you."

"You mean by that Sky Maiden brat you took under your wing?" Cobra replied upon reading his mind. "Whatever it was you were told about me was only from seven years ago, so you're a fool to think if I'm anything like that now!" He unleashed a powerful sonic wave from his hand, which carried an echo from Modeus' voice. "May your own voice destroy you!"

The explosion from the attack shook the whole area and blew several trees away. Thankfully, Modeus had pulled Max and Evergreen out of the way as Erza shielded all three of them with her Adamantine armor. Though her shield had took a considerable amount of damage, she still stood her ground.

"What the hell was that?!" Max questioned.

"Some kind of sonic attack?!" Evergreen also questioned.

"He absorbed the sound from Modeus' voice and used it to attack. Quite clever." Erza commented before requipping into her Infinity Robe armor, while wielding her bisento; with Modeus standing by her side, Hunter's Moon in his hands.

"I can hear it. You both intend to attack at me at once." Cobra said upon reading their minds. "You think Titania's elastic robe can weaken my attack, and your combined swordsman ship can catch me off guard. Where is Cubellios?" Neither answered but looked mildly confused yet remained serious. "I see, neither of you knows. Then I don't need you."

He was about to unleash an attack, only to limbo under the slices of Erza and Modeus' weapons. Erza lunged her bisento like a spear, swinging it in all directions, but Cobra avoided it all with ease.

"Demon Sword: Phantom Moon!" Modeus sent a series of crescent-moon shaped projectiles, but Cobra slipped past each of them as he appeared in front of Modeus to strike an attack in his chest, condensing a sonic blast that echoed Modeus' voice again, the force sending him skidding across the ground before he recovered on his feet.

"You thought by sending multiple attacks in my direction, at least one of them could hit me. No, that wasn't it. You were testing my hearing, weren't you?" Cobra commented. "You thought I can only hear the thoughts of living beings. I can also hear the sounds non-living things make and anticipate their direction and speed before they hit me." He then leapt over Erza's lunge from behind and landed behind her.

'Natsu was able to defeat him before by relying on instinct and deafening him with a roar.' Erza thought to herself.

"You honestly don't think I'm that stupid, do you?" Cobra questioned with a glare upon reading her thoughts. "I'm not going to fall for the same trick, twice!"

"We'll see!" Erza leapt and brought her weapon down toward him, but he swerved and dodged easily enough.

"Seven years ago, after you and your friends brought down our guild, I lost Cubellios!" Cobra unleashed a sonic attack from Erza's voice to knock her back. Max and Evergreen attempted to join in as well, only for Cobra to blast them away with the same kind of attack echoed from their yells. "Fairy Tail took away the one thing I loved!"

Modeus and Erza regained their footing as they stood their ground against their enemy who looked at them with furious and murderous intent. "Give her back! Return Cubellios to me now!"

---

The celestial spirit Nico shook in place as his owner attempted to comfort him. "There's nothing to worry about." Katja said in assurance, the pair sitting in a stone dining hall within a church. "It's probably just the servant staff coming back from their supply run."

The door upstairs opened, catching their attention as they glanced up to see the group consisting of Happy, Carla, Panther-Lily, Samuel, Mest, and Lahar.

"Looks like someone is here after all." Samuel observed. "Even after it appeared the church itself was empty."

"Hello." Mest said to the girl.

"Afternoon." Lahar also greeted.

"Yeah, hi there." Happy waved with a friendly smile.

Carla however gave a small gasp upon seeing the girl. 'She looks just like Wendy!' Mest likewise gave a gasp of his own as he noticed the resemblance as well.

"What is that next to her? Is that a demon of sorts?" Lily asked.

"No, it's a spirit." Lahar replied. "She's a celestial wizard."

"Just like Lucy!" Happy exclaimed in surprise.

Suddenly Katja gave a scream as she grabbed Nico and tried to run away from them. "Hey, wait!" Mest tried to stop her as the Carla was the first to fly down toward her with the other Exceeds trailing behind.

"Please wait, we are not here to harm you." Carla said as she flew in front of her.

"Yeah, we're the good guys!" Happy added as he showed the green Fairy Tail emblem on his back. "See? We're part of the Fairy Tail guild."

"You're… you're guild wizards?" Katja asked in surprise.

"We are." Carla confirmed as she gave a gentle smile and spoke to Katja in a calm tone. "My name is Carla, this is Happy and Panther-Lily." She gestured to her fellow Exceeds. "As said before, we part of Fairy Tail and we mean you no harm, I promise."

"That is correct." The Rune Knight commander also stepped down. "My name is Lahar, I'm with the Magic Council's custody enforcement unit, and this is Mest, he's a friend."

"And I am Samuel, also a friend." The remaining Exceed kept his affiliation a secret, both as to not cause any concern for a potential victim, but because he himself was unsure of where he stood in that regard.

Katja noticed the emblem on his attire, however. "You are with the Order of the Sword?"

"Well… I uh…" Samuel looked away, but Lily quickly came to his defense.

"Yes, he may indeed be affiliated with the Order." The black Exceed said immediately. "But despite what sort of allegations you may have heard, Samuel is a good soul and like the rest of us, he only wishes to help."

Though surprised at first, Samuel couldn't help but smile at Panther-Lily's gesture. 'Thank you, brother.'

"Oh… I see."

"Pardon us, but what's your name young lady?" Carla asked.

"My name is Katja. And this is Nico." She also introduced her spirit, who gave a friendly wave of his own

"Nice to meet you Katja, you to Nico." Happy gave a friendly smile, which Katja returned as well.

"You as well, Happy."

'She's even as friendly as Wendy as is.' Mest thought to himself as he let the guilt take effect again. 'And just like this girl, I have a bad feeling she's going to be in the middle of this shitstorm too. I just hope she's alright.'

---

"Sky Dragon Wing Attack!" Wendy threw her arms out to trap Erigor in a double-vortex attack; with Trish and Bickslow coming at him from the top and bottom respectively.

"Line Formation!" Bickslow's dolls lined up in a straight line to shoot a vertical-crescent-shaped beam, while Trish rapidly shot a multitude of electric bullets from Luce and Umbre. Before the attacks could reach their target however…

"Wind Wall!" Erigor erected a large tornado around himself to neutralize all their attacks before swinging his scythe to extend his vortex while also adding in a surge of his own lightning to slice and electrocute all three Fairy Tail members at the same time; causing them all to land rather hard on the ground, especially Wendy.

"You good, kid?" Trish asked with concern as she moved in front of her.

"Yeah…" She tried to pull herself up. "I… I couldn't eat his wind… it was charged with lightning… guess I'm not like Natsu, huh?"

"The hell is up with this guy?" Bickslow questioned as his glowing green eyes gazed at Erigor. "It's like…. There's something blocking his soul. I can't see past it…"

"You're all tougher than you look." Erigor commented. "I can't remember anyone surviving that attack before… but my memories are a little jumbled, I think."

"Come on, get up." Trish said as she was the first back on her feet. "If we let this asshole beat us, he'll attack the nearest church and the Oracion Seis will be that much closer to their goal."

"Right." Wendy was also back up. "I'm not done yet."

"Same here! Isn't that right babies?!" Bickslow stated.

"Hell yeah!" The dolls all sang.

"I don't remember much…" Erigor continued. "But I do remember being told that if I find myself facing opponents like you who can't seem to go down no matter how hard I hit them, I should use that, and then they'll drop like flies."

'That?' Trish thought in confusion. 'Don't tell me he's still got something else up his sleeve!'

"I guess it's time. Let's see if I can draw it out." Erigor's eyes closed as a dark aura formed around him, the ominous presence in the air growing even heavier. Even the storm clouds became even darker than before; almost to the point where they were pitch black. Already, the Fairy Tail team was on edge.

"This feeling in the air… it's not natural…" Wendy muttered. 'But… why does this feeling seem so... familiar?'

"I got a really bad feeling about this." Bickslow gulped, sweat coming down his face.

In a sudden flash of a darkened light, Erigor's body had undergone a transformation. The robe he had worn had extended down his lower body well past his feet, a rope tied around his waist at the hood that extended further to a long-sleeved robe that covered his upper body up to his arms, with a torn area to partially expose his chest. His shoulders were covered with black spiked armor that carried skulls on them. Erigor's entire face appeared to have transformed into a metallic skull with the hood covering the upper half, his eyes almost completely invisible. But what stuck out the most were a pair of wings on his back. Two large and long feathered wings that curved and stretched down to where his feet were, almost like an angel. However, rather than white wings as one would expect; these wings were pitch black!

"Ah yes… Now I remember. I remember everything!" The transformed Erigor spoke in a distorted voice.

"What in the actual hell just happened?!" Bickslow exclaimed.

"He… He transformed but… what kind of transformation is that?!" Trish questioned.

Wendy's eyes shook as she backed away slightly. "His scent… this form… it… it feels almost exactly like with Credo!" That got both their attention. "But… it's darker... more twisted…!"

Bickslow attempted to look at his soul again with his eyes, only to gasp at what he found. "No freaking way…"

"What? What is it?" Trish asked.

"His soul… It's gone! This dude doesn't have a soul to speak of!" Bickslow revealed, much to the shock and horror of Wendy and Trish.

"Of course, I don't. I sacrificed my soul in order to gain this power." The transformed Erigor began. "You mentioned Credo, so you must have seen his Angelo transformation. Do you want to know what that power is? The Order of the Sword has been harvesting the power of top tier demons and have altered it. They've created this process called the Ascension Ceremony where only a select few strong individuals acquire the power to transform into something far more powerful than just a human. Likewise, I and two others among the Neo Oracion Seis have undergone the process. Credo and his comrades believe themselves to be angels, and thus call their transformed state an 'Angelo'. As for me and my comrades, we are known as Caduto. Do you know what Caduto means? It means 'Fallen'. We are Fallen Angels! And you can call me Reaper Caduto!"

"Fallen Angels…?!" Wendy questioned.

"From demons to corrupted angels. Man, these guys are crazy gloomy." Bickslow commented.

"You… you sacrificed your own soul to become that!?" Trish glared at the transformed state of Erigor. "Just who do you…!"

Suddenly, the Reaper Caduto appeared in the middle of the trio, faster than they could even react. His scythe was already coated in a surge of dual and corrupted elements of black wind and black lightning. He swung his blade to generate a circular arc of the dark attack to blast all three of them back and send them skidding across the ground. Trish hit against a large rock and the Reaper Caduto aimed his scythe at her as he blasted a condescended black tornado, which was also charged with black lighting. It scored a direct hit on Trish and sent her crashing through the rock and skidding further into the mountain, creating a path of destruction in her crash.

"No! Trish!" Wendy exclaimed in shock.

"You bastard!" Bickslow as ready to use his dolls, but the Reaper Caduto appeared before him and sliced his scythe to cut all the dolls to splinters, much to Bickslow's shock before the transformed enemy rose his scythe to engulf Bickslow in a pitch-black tornado, which he soon charged once more with dark lightning, slicing Bickslow in the razor wind across his body while simultaneously electrocuting him. The attack ceased and Bickslow's battered form fell to the ground in a heap.

"Bickslow too… Why can't…?" Wendy then found herself lifted off the ground and pinned to a rock, the Reaper Caduto's form holding her up with one hand that covered her mouth to keep her from screaming as he glared at her. His hood lifted slightly to reveal a pair of soul-piercing red orbs in his skull's eye socket.

"My memories were a mess when I was in my humanoid appearance." The transformed Erigor explained. "A minor side effect of my participation in the Ascension Ceremony; but once I transform like this, all my memories come back. I remember my entire life now crystal clear. I remember the glory I had as master of the Eisenwald guild, I remember being feared as Erigor the Reaper. I also remember the anger I felt at that glory being stolen from me." His form shook with rage. "The humiliation, this burning sensation of hatred, I lost everything at the hands of Fairy Tail! At the hands of one in particular… that wretched and fowl Salamander, Natsu Dragneel! But you… you're a Dragon Slayer too, aren't you, little girl?"

Wendy looked at him with a terrified expression in her eyes, unable to so much as scream with her face and mouth being covered. Tears were already formed as his scythe was lifted closer to her face.

"I can tell from the look in your eyes that you seem rather close to him." The Reaper Caduto continued. "Fairy Tail has this reputation of treating their members like family. Which must mean, you are essentially his little sister, which must be even more prudent with you as you two are fellow Dragon Slayers. So, after I kill your two friends here, I am going to take my time dismembering you! I'll start with each of your fingers, then your feet. Your arms will be next, then your legs, and finally I'll gut you as I slowly rip your head from your neck and gouge at your eyes!" Wendy gave a muffled and terrified scream as Erigor's metallic skull face loomed closer. "I'll show your disassembled pieces to that filthy Salamander. And when he screams at the horror in front of him, I'll split his skull in half!"

Suddenly, a massive and powerful flash of multi-colored lightning blasted him in the back, forcing him to release Wendy and send him spiraling into the air. He was able to extend his wings however and straighten himself out as he glared at the foe who dared to attack him.

Wendy looked up with a mixture of surprise, relief, and joy as Trish, clad in her Devil Trigger, stood in front of her. She looked back toward her with a concerned expression.

"Wendy, are you okay?"

"Yes… Thank you… Trish." Wendy said as tears of joy flowed down her face.

The Devil Trigger Trish gave the girl a brief yet reassuring smile before flashing a glare at the Reaper Caduto as she slowly hovered to his height.

"You call yourself a reaper, huh?" She began. "That's ironic, cause you just signed your own death warrant! Fallen Angel, or Devil?! Let's see which is stronger, shall we?!" She challenged as her entire body became charged with multi-colored lightning. Likewise, a powerful storm of blackened wind and lightning surged around the Reaper Caduto as well.

Both their powers collided as sparks flashed in-between right before they shot at one another, lighting up the sky in a brilliant clash of power.

---

"Open! Gate of the Chisel! Caelum!" Flashing her silver key, Katja summoned a celestial spirit that resembled a large laser gun that hovered in the air.

"Please, watch over us." She told her beloved spirit as it began to circle the perimeter.

"You can summon two spirits at once?" Panther-Lily asked in surprise. "I had heard that was a difficult thing to do."

"Aye, Lucy hasn't been able to pull that off yet and she's packing some pretty strong spirits with her." Happy confirmed.

"That may be the reason." Samuel said. "Because your friend wields several golden Zodiac keys, which are far more powerful than the more common silver keys, wielding that kind of power could make it difficult to summon two spirits at once. But I am not a Celestial Wizard, and this is merely a theory."

"That actually is partially correct." Katja said. "A Celestial Wizard's own magic power is connected to their spirits. Those summoned by the golden keys are far more powerful than the silver ones and take more effort to summon. I can't speak for this Lucy-person, but I've had my power my entire life and with little to do, mastering my own power has becoming nothing more than a means to pass the time for me."

"Oh, I see." Panther-Lily seemed to understand.

Katja smiled before glancing toward Carla and Mest. "Excuse me, but you two keep staring at me for some reason."

Carla blushed slightly in embarrassment. "Please forgive me, I didn't notice."

"Yeah… I don't mean to be creepy either its just…" Mest wasn't quite sure how to phrase it; and who could blame him given the current circumstances.

"It's because you look so much like this girl named Wendy from our guild." Happy explained. He pulled out a picture of himself, Natsu, Dante, Lucy, Erza, Gray, Wendy, Carla, and Lisanna and showed her. "See that girl with the blue hair right there, that's her."

Katja looked at the picture and gave a small giggle. "Oh my, I do see the resemblance."

"You honestly look as though you could be her elder sister." Carla commented. "Wendy is a close friend of mine; one I've known all my life. So, pardon my earlier pry."

"It's no problem. I actually feel rather flattered." Katja assured before looking at Mest. "Is this Wendy person a friend of yours to, Mest?"

Everyone went stiff, the awkwardness easily setting in as Mest shifted uncomfortably. "Well… I knew her, yes but… She… she counted on me this one time, and I let her down. I haven't spoken with her since."

Lahar looked with a serious expression, as did Samuel; while Happy, Carla, and Panther-Lily couldn't quite explain how they felt. As established, due to the events of Tenrou Island, this situation was more than a little awkward for each of them.

"You know, in a strange way, I envy this Wendy-girl." Katja said, causing everyone to look in surprise as she held Nico close to her. "She looks so happy, she has so many friends and people who care about her. She has a life and the freedom to choose which direction to take her life in. I don't have that luxury…"

"You don't have any freedom? Are you a slave or something?" Happy asked with worry.

"No, nothing quite like that." Katja replied. "Though I do carry a great burden with me, as did the others… but that burden ultimately consumed them… and I may be all that's left at this point." Everyone looked toward the girl with concern as she continued. "It may sound odd, but I gave up hope a long time ago. It's only a matter of my time before I join the rest of my friends."

"You've given up on… what…?" Lahar looked more than a little shocked, as did everyone else.

"On living, in the here and now." She revealed, causing everyone to look in near horror. Did this girl really give up on her own life? "I'm resigned to my fate. So I thought I'd take in as much of this era's scenery as I can."

"But we can protect you!" Mest quickly stated. "Please Katja… I…" He however stopped himself as his guilt and failure to protect Wendy on the others on Tenrou Island returned. "Nothing… forget I said anything."

"No, he is correct we can and will protect you!" Carla said. "Katja, I may not know what sort of burden you bear, or what reason you have for giving up on your own life, but it does not have to end!"

"Carla's right!" Happy stated with a serious expression. "Protecting people is what Fairy Tail is all about!"

"If you were to tell us more about your circumstance, we can provide not only you protection, but potentially save many more lives." Panther-Lily added.

"Katja, we are currently facing a grave crisis that may very well decide the fate of the world." Samuel told her. "And I believe that, and your current situation are connected. Please, tell us everything you know so that we may better protect the world and the people who live in it, that includes you as well. Who were your friends? What is this burden you carry? Why are you being sheltered by the church?"

Before she could even offer a reply, however… she gave a gasp as Caelum picked up an unwanted presence and shot a laser towards the ceiling, only for something incredibly past to zoom and slice past it, causing it to vanish.

"Caelum! No!" Katja screamed.

"We're not alone here!" Lahar exclaimed.

"Hey watch out! He's behind you!" Mest warned as Racer suddenly appeared behind Katja.

"Found you!" He was about to grab her when she suddenly vanished and re-appeared in Mest's arms up toward the top of the stairs. Immediately, Panther-Lily transformed into his battle-mode and drew Baskerville to slice toward Racer, which he was easily able to avoid. Samuel, who had also transformed, took up his dual blades in an attempt to slice at Racer just as he re-appeared, but he zipped away just as easily to strike Samuel in his back before zooming at Panther-Lily to drive his foot into his abs and send him skidding across the floor.

"It's Racer!" Happy exclaimed as he and Carla flew towards Mest and Katja.

"The Neo Oracion Seis have found us!" The female Exceed also stated. Racer then shot towards Mest and Katja, the former used his own direct line to keep the girl out of harm's way as Racer continued to give chase.

"Max Speed Attack!" Happy and Carla tried to use their own Aera magic in an attempt to catch up with and intercept Racer, but the wild speedster snarled at them and delivered a rapid kick to send them both crashing toward the ground, but Lahar quickly erected a set of magic runes to break their fall. As Mest continued to carry Katja away, Lily and Samuel tried to block Racer's path, but he zoomed around them and knocked them down as well.

"He's nothing like the man we faced seven years ago." The recovering Carla observed as they all regrouped around Mest and Katja. "Now he's like a feral animal, his movements are too erratic!"

'No, they're not erratic.' Samuel thought to himself as he had also been observing Racer's movements all this time. 'There's a simple pattern to them, and we can use it to our advantage.'

"Destroy…. Die…!" Racer growled and snickered at the same time.

---

Fortuna

Nero, Kyrie, and Coco had managed to escape from the underground laboratory and made it to what appeared to be an ancient training ground, likely for whoever originally owned the old castle. Currently, they were at the top as they stopped for a moment to get some rest and try and catch up their minds on what they've learned recently.

"Nero… are you alright…?" Kyrie asked as her lover looked away with a complicated expression. Despite the assurance she and Coco gave him, he was still processing the fact he was an artificially born person, and a half-breed son of Sparda of all things. "If you want to talk about this…"

"We got bigger things to worry about, right now." Nero said as he stood up straight. "Let's just… just focus on bringing these guys down. Everything else can wait."

Kyrie and Coco shared concerning looks, but they also knew he was right. Countless lives could be at stake, and that came first. "Okay, maybe we can…" Coco was suddenly interrupted as she and Kyrie felt their bodies go stiff before they were telekinetically dragged back the way they came.

"What?!" Nero exclaimed only to look in shock as it appeared to be Mary Hughes who pulled both Kyrie and Coco away with her wand. "Mary what the hell…?!"

"Credo! He's open!" She called out, which alerted Nero to a sword being swung toward him from behind. The blade was being wielded by none other than Credo as he swung again, forcing Nero to raise his demonic appendage on instinct to block it. The force created a slight shockwave that blew Credo back slightly.

"Damn it, Credo." Nero glared.

"I'm sorry Nero, but this is for your own good." Credo told him before turning to his ally and friend. "Mary! Do it now!"

"Conducting Art: Second Movement!" Mary redirected her wand, releasing her grip on Kyrie and Coco and turning its power toward Nero. He gave a yell in agony as a bright blue light shot from his eyes and mouth, his demonic arm glowing even brighter.

"Nero!" Kyrie cried out.

"Mary, stop it! What are you doing?!" Coco exclaimed.

"I'm tots freeing him of the demon that's possessing him!" She exclaimed as Nero continued to yell in agony as the power coursed throughout his body, much to the confusion of Mary as well as Credo.

"What is going on, Mary? Why hasn't the demon been expelled?!" Credo questioned.

"I… I don't know…" She stuttered in confusion. "It never takes this long…" Kyrie suddenly wretched the wand away from Mary, stopping the process and releasing Nero, allowing him to fall to his hands and knees as he hacked up a great deal of blood. Kyrie immediately ran toward him and began applying her healing magic toward him.

"Mary, what happened? I thought you could expel the demon!" Credo demanded.

"This hasn't… it's never happened like this before…" Mary continued to stutter. "My Second Movement has never failed! I even yanked out that Satan Soul from that She-Devil bitch in Fairy Tail! Unless…" Mary's eyes widened in shock as she looked again at Nero's transformed arm. "He's not possessed… he's an actual demon!"

"Stop it! Both of you!" Coco ran in front of Nero and Kyrie, extending her arms out to protect them. "Listen, Nero isn't possessed! He's a victim! That arm of his… it's… it's not…"

"Coco, step aside." Credo told her. "Mary and I are under direct orders from his Holiness to apprehend Nero for his own safety. I don't understand what his circumstances is but we can…"

"Oh, cut the bullshit, Credo!" Nero glared as he weakly pulled himself up. "You can drop the heroic act, we're not falling for it! We know you're using that damn Infinity Clock and helping a bunch of nutjobs try to destroy the planet!"

"You don't know what you're…!" Credo attempted to argue only for his sister to stand up.

"Credo, I saw you." Kyrie revealed. "You, Sanctus, Agnus, all three of you… with the Oracion Seis."

The general of the Holy Knights looked toward his sister in shock, his eyes so wide they were almost circular. "What…?"

"Wait… you guys really think Credo is working with the bad guys?" Mary questioned. "Come on, there's no way he would…" She looked toward him, the look in his eyes suggested that a great truth was revealed. "No way… you… you what…?"

"I saw him, Mary! I tried to tell you before!" Kyrie tried to speak.

"It… it is true." Credo admitted. "I apologize for keeping this secret from all of you. But the purpose of the Infinity Clock, even the aid from the Oracion Seis, it is a necessary evil. This world is saturated with chaos, and it needs to be reigned in."

"Over my dead body." Nero stood up with a glare, pulling out Blue Rose and aiming it directly at Credo.

"Credo please listen!" Coco pleaded. "Whatever it is Sanctus has told you… if we can just talk it over… you don't have to work with them!"

He gave a sigh. "I am sorry, but it is too late to turn back now. I am going to bring Nero in; Kyrie, Coco, please… step aside."

Kyrie heisted for a moment before quickly standing closer to Nero. "I can't do that, brother. The Order has gone too far and I can't ignore it."

"Neither can I." Coco also stepped forward. "I'm sorry but… this isn't right."

"Whoa… guys! Look… you like don't have to do this! We can…" Mary's pleas were however interrupted as she, Nero, Kyrie, and Coco looked in shock to see Credo engulfed in a golden light and transform into his Angelo form; something that made their eyes go wide.

"You to…?" Nero stuttered.

"No… not you Credo… not that…" Coco said with a tearful expression.

Kyrie was already in tears. She knew from Agnus where that power came from. Did Credo know as well? And if he did… why would he…?

"This power… I have transcended my limitations as a human to become an angel." The transformed Credo said. "It is a burden, but one I must bear out of necessity, to save this world. As Supreme General of the Holy Knights…" A single tear fell from his demonic face. "I place all three of you under arrest." He pointed his blade at them. "It is the wish of his Holiness!"

"Fine. Have it your way!" Nero shot his demonic fist forward, sending a large and transparent fist Credo's way. Though he tried to block it with his winged-shield, the impact sent Credo crashing into the building behind him. Nero immediately ran after him and leapt into the smoking hole. The second he landed, his instincts kicked in as he drew Red Queen to block the sword-slash from Credo before they engaged in a brutal dual.

"What… what in the name of Sparda is going on here?!" Mary exclaimed in pure shock and confusion. "His Holiness says Nero is possessed, but he's not and he's actually a demon… now Credo's an angel!? What… what is…?!" She looked like she was about to have a panic attack, when Kyrie reached out to grab her hands with a gentle yet firm grasp.

"Mary, calm down. Please… just listen." Kyrie said as she and Coco looked toward her. "There… there is something that you have to know."

---

Fiore

Meanwhile, Racer continued to bounce across the walls, ceiling, and ground of the inside of the church, doing everything he can to get to Katja, only for Mest to keep a firm hold of her and use his Direct Line to zoom out of the way each time, with Lily and Samuel attempting to intercept him with their blades, but he knocked them back easily enough. The two larger Exceeds landed in front of Mest and Katja, with Happy, Carla, and Lahar behind as they all faced Racer.

"Destroy… kill… I must kill… the vessel…!"

"Vessel?" Lahar wondered aloud.

Samuel placed his hand on Mest's shoulder and spoke in a whisper. "Your magic, can it work with others besides yourself?"

"I'd have to make direct contact, but yeah. Why?" Mest asked.

"I believe I may have a strategy that will allow us to beat him." Samuel revealed. "But it will require myself, Mest, and Lily to all work together. Brother, do you trust me?"

"I trust you, Sammy." Lily stated without a hint of hesitation. "Right here and now, we are brothers!"

Samuel smiled. "Thank you."

"Alright, if we're gonna hold off this freak; then Lahar, you, Carla and Happy take Katja and run! Apparently, we got a plan!" Mest stated.

"Very well." Lahar accepted. "We'll keep her safe."

"Kick his butt, you guys!" Happy told them.

"But what about all of you?!" Katja questioned with worry, only for Carla to pick her up by her back and beginning to fly away.

"Do not worry about them. They can handle themselves." The female Exceed assured. "But our first priority is to ensure your safety." Happy likewise did the same for Lahar and followed them back outside.

Meanwhile, Samuel finished tying a sash around not only his own waist, but that of Lily and Mest as the three had their backs to one another, facing Racer who zoomed from wall-to-wall around them, almost like a bloodthirsty predatory circling its prey.

"Let's make this quick!" Racer said as he zoomed from one sport to another. "I got a girl to kill!"

"So, what's your plan?" Mest asked.

"I don't have time to explain right now, but both of you need to follow my instructions to the letter." Samuel answered.

"Ready when you are." Lily tightened the grip on his sword.

The battle began. Racer prepared to shoot at them, with Samuel keeping a close eye on him. "Mest, northeast to the wall by forty-six degrees!" Mest did exactly as he said, causing Racer to miss but he was ready to follow them, as Samuel calculated. "Brother, strike now!"

Just as Racer shot at them, Lily swung Baskerville to land a clean hit on Racer and send him flying and crashing into the wall on the other side of the chamber.

"How'd you do that?!" Mest questioned as Lily and Samuel's wings kept all three of them airborne.

"He acts like a wild animal, but that means his movements are simple and predictable." Samuel explained. "Even if we can't match his speed, I can tell he is moving in straight lines! With that knowledge, I can predict his destination and plan an interception. Mest's own speed can't match his, but it is enough for us to at least keep pace; while Lily and I will attack."

Lily smirked. "Now that's an excellent strategy."

"Alright, you just tell me where and when to move, and I'll move!" Mest said as they saw Racer emerge from the hole in the wall.

"I've been hit…" Racer felt his cheek where a bleeding cut had been formed. A maniacal grin appeared on his face. "I'm going to enjoy ripping you three to pieces!"

"We'll see about that, monster!" Samuel accepted the challenge. "Let's go!"

With that, the battle continued. It appeared two blurs moved back and forth at one another in such insane speeds, it seemed almost impossible for the naked eye to catch. Fortunately, Samuel was able to calculate Racer's direction and destination as he said, allowing Mest to keep up with him while also allowing Samuel and Lily to provide both offense and defense with their respective swords. The impacts from each collision shook the whole building before both parties crashed through the roof and continued outside into the courtyard.

The trio landed on the roof of a gazebo as Samuel swung his blades, catching Racer's incoming kick and forcing him to retreat. "Mest, thirty-eight degrees southeast!" Samuel ordered, causing them to vanish and reappear on the ground some distance away. "Brother, swing to your upper right!" Lily did as instructed and managed to land a blow on Racer's chest, sending him crashing through several pillars. "Mest, get some distance! Twenty-two degrees northwest." He disappeared again and reappeared in the air, hovering thanks to the Exceeds' wings by the roof right as Racer appeared in front of Samuel, where he lifted his swords and brought them down to send Racer crashing to the ground.

"It's working! We have him on the ropes!" Lily stated.

"Don't get cocky." Mest warned him. "These guys are way stronger than the last time your guild fought them. So, they've probably picked up some new tricks."

Racer then vanished and reappeared on the rooftop closest to them, not making a move to attack as he stood up straight, as opposed to his more animalistic poses.

"You're not as fast as I am, but you can keep up with me." Racer commented. "Too bad for you, this is only first gear for me."

"What does that mean?" Lily questioned.

Suddenly, Racer's body was engulfed in a dark aura before a flash of black light engulfed his whole body. When the light subsided, something struck Mest, Lily, and Samuel; breaking their tether and causing them to crash hard on the ground.

"What the hell…? I thought you said you could predict his movements…!" Mest stuttered.

"His speed increased… I couldn't even see him… How…?" Samuel looked up to something that made him gasp, as well as Lily and Mest.

Racer hovered in the air, but he looked nothing like he did before. His whole body had transformed. The black and red-lined body suit he previously wore appeared to have become a part of his skin, the red lines glowing even brighter. His face was also pitch black like his suit as his eyes became a single red visor. His hair and eyebrows went from yellow to solid gold, forming a crown around his head like a Greek monarch. He wore a white Greek toga with an orange sash and gold linings; red shoulder pads and yellow linings along with purple plaided armor that also carried yellow linings along his arms. Six orange blades stuck out of his back, almost like airplane wings, with three on each side, with the upper two carrying a purple line along the bottom. He wore purple and yellow ankle bracelets and red shoes, with glowing black wings at his heels.

"Hermes Caduto." The transformed Racer spoke in a distorted demonic tone.

All three of them looked in absolute shock. Did Racer just undergo some kind of transformation?! Lily and Samuel both noticed how this felt very similar to the Angel soldiers they've seen so far, only darker, and much more powerful.

"Alright. Who's ready for the next lap?" The Hermes Caduto grinned menacingly.

---

Bickslow's eyes slowly opened as he saw a certain girl applying her magic to heal his injuries. "Wendy…"

"Don't worry Bickslow, you're gonna be okay." She assured him.

"Where's that skull-faced freak?" Bickslow asked.

"Trish is keeping him busy." Wendy glanced up toward the storm clouds as lightning bolts raged across the sky, multi-colored streaks clashing with darker ones, along with shockwaves that blew the clouds away, only to reform right back as more lightning flashed. Almost as if two thunderstorms were waging war against each other. And given their current situation, that would be a rather accurate description.

"There's gotta be some way to take that monster down." Bickslow said as he tried to pull himself up, the worst of his injuries healed already, but he was still in rough shape.

"I've actually been thinking about that." Wendy revealed. "You said he was soulless, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"It's… it's horrifying, and I can't even… I can't even imagine something like that but… maybe we can use that." Wendy revealed. "I've got a plan."

Back in the sky, the transformed Erigor, also known as the Reaper Caduto gave a demonic roar as he brought down his scythe to send three dark electric tornados down from the clouds straight towards Trish. But with her speed further enhanced by her Devil Trigger form, and her multi-colored lightning surging around her, she was able to blast past all the tornados, dissipating them in the process before appearing above Erigor, raising her hands up to form a large sphere of the colored lightning before blasting it right at the Reaper Caduto's face for explosive results.

However, the Reaper Caduto flew up out of the smoke and shot towards the Devil Trigger Trish with his scythe, slicing toward her, but she zapped around to avoid it and land a solid kick in his back. The Reaper Caduto growled as he unleashed a dark tornado around his body, exploding outward to blast Trish back while also shooting a multitude of pitch-black lightning bolts toward her. She flew as best she could to avoid them, shooting out blasts of lightning to intercept any that got too close; but it was an uphill battle.

'Damn, this be a lot easier if I had a sword or something! Really wishing I still had the Devil Sword Sparda with me!' She mentally cursed herself. However, this also caused her to slow down and left her open for the Reaper Caduto to fly out and slice at Trish with her scythe, sending her flying closer toward the ground, but she was able to stabilize herself while airborne and keep herself from crashing.

"You've put a good fight, little demon." The transformed Erigor commented. "But play time is over! Now I can…!" Before he could move in to attack, his body came to a sudden halt as a faint green aura formed around his body. "What…? Why… Why can't I…?"

"Seith Magic: Possession!" The maskless Bickslow pointed his finger directly at the Reaper Caduto, his dolls lifeless and scattered on the ground around him. "You say you gave up your soul, pal? That was a big mistake." He said with a smirk. "Cause I just transplanted all the souls of my babies right into your body! That should keep you moving for a while!"

'Damn him! I can feel the foreign souls invading my body!' Erigor thought to himself. 'Still… these souls are weak! I can expel them easily enough!'

Before the Devil Trigger Trish could even question what her comrade was trying to do, she heard her name being called.

"Trish!" Wendy suddenly appeared behind her as she casted two support spells. "Vernier!" A white magic circle appeared under the transformed Trish as she was engulfed in a yellow aura, that had begun to increase her already-enhanced speed. "Arms!" Wendy casted a strength-support spell on herself as a cyan blue aura formed around her. "Trish, I need you to channel all your power! My support magic will further enhance it, and I'll give you a boost! We're going to end this fight in one shot!"

This earned a smirk from the transformed lightning she-demon. "You got it, kiddo." Trish's body already began to surge with her multi-colored lightning. Her already enhanced power with her Devil Trigger was even further enhanced by Wendy's support spell as the Sky Dragon Slayer began to inhale as much of the wind as she could, her physical body's strength enhanced by her own support spell, allowing her to take in more air than she normally could.

The Reaper Caduto could already sense the increase in power and tried to expel Bickslow's souls from his body even further now. "You pesky flies! You cannot stop me!" He exclaimed as a dark shockwave was emitted from his body, pushing Bickslow back but he kept his souls inside Erigor, even though it was getting harder to hold in.

"Ladies, anytime now! I can't hold him much longer!"

"Sky Dragon Roar!" Wendy unleashed arguably the most powerful breath attack she'd ever done so far. The enhanced and charged Devil Trigger Trish was engulfed in the massive white vortex of wind-magic from Wendy's power and propelled toward Erigor.

In less than a second, Trish could already feel the power of Wendy's Sky Magic mixing with her own, probably through the support spell that Wendy was lending her. She used this to further combine their respective energies as they seemed to flow together almost naturally. Soon, Wendy's entire breath attack was absorbed into a single and extremely powerful bolt of white lightning that embodied Trish's entire form before she shot at Erigor at blinding speed.

The Reaper Caduto gave a demonic roar as he had successfully expelled Bickslow's souls from his body, sending five green spheres out of him, but it was too late. For a brief moment, he thought he saw a large white, female, dragon glaring at him; surrounded by a powerful and pure thunderstorm.

"Devil Dragon: Thunder Sky Bolt!"

Unable to dodge it; the Unison Raid pierced through the Reaper Caduto's chest in the form of a white lightning bolt. Trish emerged from the other end in a flash, her Devil Trigger form still present just as the transformed form of Erigor gave a pain-induced demonic roar; his gaping wound exploding in a flash of black light that encompassed his whole body.

When the flash faded, Erigor's body had returned to normal; complete with the massive hole in his chest that had taken out his heart and most of his internal organs. The lifeless body of Erigor the Reaper fell to the ground in a heap, his scythe falling and impaling the ground on its blade next to him.

Trish landed on the ground in exhaustion, her Devil Trigger vanishing as Wendy and Bickslow both fell to their knees and hands as well. All three of them were beyond exhausted, but it was still a victory, nonetheless.

Wendy glanced toward Trish as the blonde smirked and gave her a thumbs up, which Wendy returned with an emotional smile. Bickslow stuck out his tongue, showing the Fairy Tail emblem on it, as he gave them both a thumbs up with each of his hands as well.

---

Meanwhile; Happy, Carla, and Lahar had led Katja quite a distance away from the church, the group finding themselves before a large tree as the girl held her Celestial Spirit, Nico, in her arms.

"So, you know what's going on?" Happy asked.

"Yes." Katja began to explain to the group. "The attacks on the churches are just a side effect. The true goal of the Neo Oracion Seis and this new Order of the Sword is to kill me, and others like me."

"All those victims in the churches, were they Celestial Wizards like you?" Lahar asked.

"They were." She confirmed.

"How does ending your life have to do with the Infinity Clock?" Carla asked.

"If you don't already know, the original Order of the Sword was founded by the Dark Knight Sparda a long time ago." Katja explained. This caught Lahar by surprise, but Happy and Carla knew this already. "The Infinity Clock was created by the Celestial Wizards within the Order as a means to combat the Underworld. But the power proved too great to control; and so Sparda and the Celestial Wizards within the Order, as well as the other two founders, disassembled the Clock, but that was only the first step. If in the event Clock were to be re-assembled, the Celestial Wizard named Will Neville casted Body Link magic on those who created the Clock; we are their descendants. We've been sheltered by the church of Zentopia in secret." She allowed the black marks of the Body Link spell to form on her body and show the group. "So long as these links remain, the Infinity Clock's full and nightmarish power will remain sealed even if it is reassembled. The only way to cut the link, is to eliminate the entire bloodline. I have no kin, so if I die, my link will be severed. This is both our responsibility as descendants of members of the original Order of the Sword, as well as our greatest curse."

"No way…" Happy breathed in shock.

"I'm deeply sorry for your burden." Lahar said sincerely. "I can't even fathom it."

"That explains not only the church attacks, but why we haven't seen any signs of the Infinity Clock's power since the enemy obtained it." Carla said. "And you are the only one left?"

"Including myself, there are only four; with a final seal placed on Will Neville's own remains. But the location of his remains a mystery even to us." Katja answered. "We are all linked to each other, so I could feel it when my comrades take their last breath."

"Katja… it doesn't have to end like this though." Happy said. "We can protect you… we can…!"

Suddenly, three individuals crashed on the ground just beneath the tree. The group gasped as they saw the beaten and bloodied forms of Mest, Samuel, and Lily. They were still alive, the two warrior Exceeds had returned to their smaller forms, but they wouldn't be getting up anytime soon.

"I'm sorry…" Mest muttered.

"Run… away…" Lily grunted.

"Leave now… he's coming…" Samuel spat out some blood.

Suddenly, the transformed form of Racer, known as Hermes Caduto, appeared over them, hovering in the air. "I found you." He spotted Katja.

"Katja! Run!" Lahar exclaimed as he, Happy, and Carla tried to stop him; only for a lightspeed-like force to strike all three of them and send them crashing into the ground. In the blink of an eye, Hermes Caduto had grabbed Katja by her throat and pinned her to the tree.

"It's over." He readied his hand as it began to vibrate with intense speeds.

"No! Don't do it!" Happy screamed.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" Carla also screamed, briefly seeing Wendy's face in place of Katja's.

*SLASH!*

With a swipe of his hand, Katja fell to the ground, and the tree behind her was sliced clean in half.

"I severed your blood vessels, but I also severed your central nervous system. You are going to die, but you won't feel any pain." Racer told her. For a brief moment, a look in his glowing red visor appeared slightly remorseful, but it faded just before he vanished and left the area entirely, but not before she said two words to him.

"Thank you…"

"Katja!" Mest struggled to pull himself up, along with Lily and Samuel as Happy, Carla, and Lahar were already by her side. Her eyes glanced towards the approaching Nico as he began to fade away in white particles.

"Her spirit is vanishing… it's too late for her…" Lahar hung his head in remorse as all the Exceeds had tears forming in their eyes, even the warrior-like Lily and bookworm Samuel were crying. Mest looked in pure horror. But despite all that, Katja smiled.

"Please… don't cry." She spoke as she felt her life fade away. "It's okay… I knew this would happen…. I have no regrets… This is my duty…. But… I am happy… that I got to meet so many wonderful people… Even though… I regret nothing… I wish… I could have been a part of this Fairy Tail… and met… all those wonderful friends of yours…"

The Exceed trio could already picture it. They vividly imagined Katja smiling alongside all their friends and loved ones in the Fairy Tail guild as they ate and partied around her. Mest could imagine it too, which made him cry even harder.

"So please… don't shed tears for me… Just keep going…. Protect… this world…" Katja said her last words as she took her last breath. Nico faded away completely as the girl laid lifeless on the ground. But despite all of that, the smile never left her face.

"She told us… not to cry… but I… I can't… I…" Happy couldn't stop himself from crying, none of them could. Even Lahar hung his head as he used his hand to close her eyes.

"I'll see to it she receives a proper burial." Lahar said. "I'll see to it all of them do. With such a heavy burden they bear, it's only fair."

Samuel's fists clenched. "This isn't right. This isn't… what the Order of the Sword… is supposed to stand for. We… we were to protect the world… protect the innocent… protect people… like her!"

"I'm in the same boat…" Mest grunted as he pounded his fist into the ground, venting all the pent up frustration for the past seven years. "It's why I joined the Council in the first place!" His hands clenched the ground. "But I can't protect a damn thing! What kind of man does that make me?!"

Admits the tears, frustration, and sorrow, Carla's voice rang out. "How long are you two going to continue whining?!" She exclaimed. All eyes set on her as tears poured down her cheeks, yet her eyes carried a powerful fire inside her. "Of course, there are people we can't protect! People who are beyond our reach! We can't save everyone! It's cruel and unfair, but that's just reality! But that doesn't mean we give up!"

That caught Samuel's and Mest's attention as Carla continued her heartfelt rant.

"Whether we're part of the Magic Council, the Order of the Sword, Fairy Tail, or something else; we have to keep going! Even though we can't save everyone, we must save all that we can! If we allow one single lose to rule us, then we won't be able to save those who are within our reach! So, are you going to continue to wallow in your own self-pity or are you going to stand on your damn feet and keep fighting?!"

"Carla's right!" Happy stood up straight. "Fairy Tail doesn't give up! Even if you faked being part of our guild Mest, that should go for you too!"

"You are a warrior, Sammy." Lily walked toward him. "I know how it feels when you are unable to save someone, but just because you've stumbled or even lost your way, doesn't mean you have luxury of quitting. You know this is wrong, so are you going to do something about it, or not?"

Samuel briefly took off his glasses to wipe the tears from his eyes before putting them back on and standing straight as well. "It is indeed time to do something about this wrongdoing. My logic as well as my heart both agree. Let us continue to fight and make sure this girl's death, as well as those others like hers, were not in vain!"

Lahar then looked down toward his former comrade, who continued to hang his head. "Do you see it now, Mest? If you let your past hold you back, you'll miss out on more chances to change the future. You may not be able to undo what's been done, but that doesn't mean it was all for nothing. And now, you have the chance to save the future, so are you going to let it slip by?"

"Cut the philosophical crap!" He stood up on his two feet and brushed the tears from his face as well. "And by the way, Mest is gone. My name is Doranbolt!" He stated with a hardened and determined expression.

'Finally. You've broken free of your past. Now you will truly have the chance to thrive.' Lahar thought to himself with a proud smile.

The four Exceeds sprouted their wings and took to the air as Lahar picked up Katja's body. "What will you all do now?" He asked the Exceeds.

"We'll go back to Fairy Tail." Happy answered. "Since we know what the Order of the Sword and Neo Oracion Seis are up to, everyone else will want to know. What about you?"

"Same as you." Lahar answered. "Once we take care of Katja, I'll inform the Magic Council on what we've learned. We now have confirmation that the Order of the Sword and Neo Oracion Seis are cooperating with each other. That gives us the opportunity to take action." He then looked towards Samuel. "I'll also be sure to tell them that only the Order's leadership is involved and not the entire organization. I'll make certain the innocent are not harmed along with the guilty."

"Thank you." Samuel nodded. 'Once this mess has been settled, I'll see to it the Order of the Sword becomes the force for good that it was always meant to be.'

"Hey, one last thing." Doranbolt spoke to the Exceeds. "I know I probably don't have a right to ask this but… when you see Wendy again, as well as Dante and Natsu and everyone else, tell them I'm sorry. Even if they don't forgive me, which I don't expect them to, I really do mean it. I'm going to do everything I can to help as many people as possible. I won't run away anymore."

The Exceeds of Fairy Tail, even Carla, gave smiles of their own. "We'll be sure to tell them that." Carla said. "Good luck to you all." With that, the two groups went in separate directions, but still stood together in service of a common goal: to protect this world and save as many people as they are able.

---

Fortuna

The ceiling of the tower just above the ancient training ground exploded as Nero and Credo's Angelo form leapt out of the smoke. Once again, Nero fired his Blue Rose gun at Credo, who blocked the attack with his shield before flying at Nero to slice at him with his sword, knocking him back down toward the roof and close to the edge. Credo tried to press the advantage by slicing at Nero with his sword again, which Nero blocked and parried with Red Queen before swerving to the side and hacking at Credo's side, causing him to groan in pain before flying backwards to gain some distance and throw a javelin at him.

Nero dodged one javelin as he rolled toward the other side of the roof, but right as Credo threw a second, Nero got an idea as he used his demonic arm and timed it just right. Right before the second javelin could hit him, Nero reached out, a spectral arm stretching from his demonic appendage to grab the javelin, with Nero using the momentum as he turned around to throw it right back at the surprised Credo, the javelin piercing into his shoulder before it vanished.

Credo then shot straight at Nero at intense speeds, faster than Nero could counter as he sliced his sword at him, the force of the impact sending Nero rolling towards the ledge on the other side. He quickly got up and brought Red Queen to block and parry the relentless sword slashes from Credo as they locked blades. Credo pressed further, with Nero just barley an inch from the ledge, and an impossibly long drop below.

"Surrender, Nero! Did you forget who taught you to use the sword?!" Credo told him. "No matter what kind of demonic power you wield, your tactics are still the same! I don't want to hurt you! Just stand down!"

Nero glared harder as he tried to press back against him, but Credo seemed too strong. However, Nero's demonic arm began to glow brighter before it gave off a flash of light. The suddenly flash forced Credo's Angelo form back as Red Queen fell from Nero's hand and clattered on the ground, having been replaced with the katana known as Masayoshi, something that even Nero wasn't expecting.

"That sword… is it… the Yamato…?" Credo looked in disbelief.

Seeing that he was open, Nero slashed with Masayoshi, sending a slash-wave through the air to strike at the open Credo, sending him tumbling back before Nero rushed him, grabbing Red Queen with his other hand, and hacked at Credo with both his swords dual-wield style.

The transformed Credo was completely unprepared for Nero's onslaught, his speed and strength seemed to have doubled, and him wielding two swords made it almost impossible to counter. He tried to block Red Queen with his shield, but Nero thrusted Masayoshi at him to send an air-slice through his transformed state, knocking him back as Nero rushed past him to slice at him with Red Queen while appearing behind to slash downward with Masayoshi for another similar attack, slashing through Credo's back before Nero leapt over and landed in front to deliver a roundhouse kick and knock him off the roof. But Nero wasn't done yet as he leapt at Credo, wrapped his legs around his waist and delivered a powerful double-slash attack with both swords to send Credo's Angelo form crashing down into the arena where Kyrie, Coco, and Mary braced themselves from the impact.

Nero landed on the ground rather roughly, both blades in his hands, his Devil Bringer arm glowing a bright blue while a faint blue aura encircled him. The aura faded along with the smoke from Credo's impact, where he struggled to pull himself up before being engulfed in a golden flash and returned to normal.

"No! Not yet!" He weakly pulled himself up to his feet, holding his sword firmly. "I'm not finished…!" Before he could try to attack Nero, Kyrie appeared in front of him and slapped him across the face.

Everything came to a stop as Credo looked toward his sister, her face was red as tears flowed down her eyes and she looked toward him with desperation and anger.

"Credo stop! Just… just stop it! Look at what you're doing!" She gestured behind her. "You're trying to hurt Nero! You two have been friends since we were little! You're like brothers! What happened to you?! What made you want to do all of this?! To… to turn yourself into a demon?! To work with criminals who hurt innocent people! To… to cause so much pain and suffering! To the very people you are supposed to care for! Do you have any idea what the Order has put Nero through!? What they're making all of us do?!"

The captain looked toward his younger sister with a near heartbroken expression. He hated seeing her like this, seeing her emotionally hurt, but this was the very first time she directed it toward him.

"Credo… do… do you know even where that power came from?" Coco asked as she walked toward him from Mary, who had a look of pure horror on her face. "How… How the Order is… able to… to turn people into demons…?"

"We… We summon demons through the Hellgates…" Credo tried to explain. "And yes… we are working with dangerous criminals… but… but the Neo Oracion Seis… they are a means to an end."

"The end of what, Credo?! The world?!" Nero exclaimed. "Cause that's where we're heading! What do you think they're going to do with a damn doomsday weapon like the Infinity Clock?!"

"This world… it's corrupted." Credo said in a tone that sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than the others. "The original Order couldn't control the Clock… but we found the means to. We can… we can purge the corruption! Save this world!"

"Credo… they have Sparda's body." Kyrie revealed.

Her brother turned toward her with an expression of pure shock. "What…?"

Mary herself shook, holding her own arms as she had been told the exact same thing during Credo and Nero's fight. She couldn't believe it herself, but who could blame her? The only thing that kept her from having a heart attack was the comforting hand from Coco on her shoulder.

'They actually desecrated Sparda… the Dark Knight himself…" Mary thought to herself. 'Why…? Why would his Holiness do this...? This is… this is wrong? Was… was I used all over again…?'

"We were in Agnus' lab, he showed us." Kyrie told him. "He has Sparda's body, he's been harvesting his power to give himself… to give you… that power. It all came from Sparda! He… he desecrated his body… under Sanctus' orders!"

"And that's not all." Coco spoke as well. "They used his… genetic material to create… an artificial Son of Sparda… Nero."

Credo turned to Nero in absolute shock, having no idea. Nero held his head down as he tried to look away, still in emotional turmoil about the whole reveal.

"This… no… it… it can't be…" Credo couldn't comprehend it. "His holiness… he wouldn't…"

"He did. He lied to you, Credo. He lied to all of us." Kyrie told him. "I know… you felt you had to do what you did but… you can still turn around. Come with us! Help us stop him and the Oracion Seis before more people get hurt! I know there's good in you, brother! You don't have to keep doing this! Please!"

"Well, isn't that sweet?"

Everyone turned toward the far edge of the area with a gasp to see the smirking leader of the Neo Oracion Seis staring back at them.

"Guess you have something of a heart after all, Credo. How unfortunate." Midnight commented.

"Midnight!" Credo exclaimed as Nero drew his blades again; but Midnight shot at them with a wave of Darkness Magic before trapping it and everyone else in a dome of his Reflector Magic.

"My magic has always been superior to that of my father, but I admit it has its uses, especially when working in tandem with mine." Midnight said, only to raise a small eyebrow in minor surprise as the dust faded to reveal that all his enemies were safe inside a bright crystal-like shield, curtsey of Kyrie's Sanctuary spell. "I see, so that's the Arc of Seraph, the supposed magic of the angels. How interesting. However,…" The spell was warped and shattered, much to everyone's surprise. "… All forms of magic are rendered useless by my Reflector Magic. Now then…"

Before anybody could react, Kyrie was suddenly ensnared by dark green tendrils from Midnight's magic. Her arms were bound to her sides and even her mouth was covered to keep her from screaming as she was suddenly pulled toward Midnight, where he wrapped his right arm around her bound form.

"Kyrie!" Coco and Mary both cried out.

"You son of a…!" Nero was about to rush him, but Midnight conjured a Dark Caprico spell in his free hand and aimed the tip of the drill-like attack toward the frightened Kyrie's neck.

"I wouldn't if I were you. And I would also recommend you not refer to my father in such a manner." Midnight advised in a calm yet sinister tone, earning glares from both Nero and Mary.

"Midnight… release my sister…! Now!" Credo demanded as he weakly walked toward him, pointing his sword in his direction.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Credo." Midnight began. "At first, our plan didn't really involve your sister. But upon discovering what type of magic she uses, it's simply too great an opportunity to pass up. See, Sanctus predicted your defeat. You may be a warrior who's dedicated to the Order's cause, but when it comes to your friends and family, your resolve is questionable at best. With all that being said, he ordered that your sister be utilized for the plan."

"What?!" Credo exclaimed just as Nero attempted to attack. He tried catch Midnight by surprise by slashing Masayoshi at him, sending an airwave attack his way when suddenly…

Midnight, and by extension Kyrie, were both engulfed in a flash of black light; forcing everyone to close their eyes and shield their faces. The flash faded and everyone gasped at what they saw.

Kyrie was still bound in the dark magic but rendered unconscious. She was currently being held in the arms of a transformed Midnight that hovered in the air. His skin had turned solid and dark green, almost like his body was made of a dark emerald stone, with glowing red eyes. He was clad in a dark blue, almost black, hooded robe with sickly green lines along the edges and sleeves, with pattern of swirls and circles along the bottom of his robe. Underneath it was a black undershirt with a dark gold pattern of small diamonds at the top. He had a black belt and shoulder pads with turquoise orbs on it, with the same-colored diamonds hanging off his belt. But what stuck out the most, were a pair of large black wings emerging from his back.

"What in the actual hell just happened?! Did this guy just transform or something?!" Mary questioned.

"He… He looks like Byro, Credo, and even Agnus when they transform!" Coco pointed out. "But… this is different…!"

Credo glared at him, which Nero noticed, indicating that he had an idea what this was, which was proven true with Credo's next words. "You underwent the Ceremony!"

"I did." The transformed Midnight spoke in a distorted tone of voice. "As did two others among my team. But as you can see, we're not quite the same. While you, Byro, and Agnus and even Sanctus are referred to as Angelos; we are called Caduto, meaning Fallen. We are no longer the Six Demons from seven years ago. Now we are Fallen Angels! You can call this form 'Zero Caduto', named after my father."

Nero gave a roar as he tried to reach for the unconscious Kyrie, but Midnight extended his free hand to generate a powerful sphere of dark green magic before unleashing it in the form of a massive surge of it that completely engulfed Nero and sent him crashing back down.

Coco attempted to run on the building behind him and leap to deliver a kick toward his back, but even with his back turned, the Zero Caduto focused his Reflector Magic on the building's wall, causing it to collapse and explode, sending Coco falling off the ledge. Fortunately, Credo was able to catch her with one hand as he slid toward the ledge and tried to pull her up.

"You get your damn hands off her, you freak!" Mary aimed her wand directly at Zero Caduto, only for him to aim his finger and shoot a Dark Caprico straight through her chest; much to the horror of Nero, Coco, and Credo.

"MARY!" They all exclaimed as she fell back, a puddle of blood already forming underneath her.

"You want her back, Nero?" The Zero Caduto mocked as he carried Kyrie in his arms. "Then come and get her. And be sure to bring your new sword too." He then flew off into the distance with his unconscious captive, much to the horror of everyone present.

Credo had managed to pull Coco up as she immediately ran to Mary and tried to help. "She's bleeding… Credo we have to help her!"

"R… Right… of course…" Still in shock over all that just happened, he was able to stand up straight and get over to Mary, trying to her injuries. Perhaps he could fly her over to the infirmary and they would be able to help her. But a wound this severe…

Nero didn't even seem to notice what was happening at first as he glanced at a small twinkle of light that reflected toward his eye. Slowly walking toward the source, he was shocked to discover that it was the golden necklace that he gave Kyrie for her birthday. He slowly reached out and picked it up in his demonic arm before falling to his knees and hands and pounded his Devil Bringer's fist into the ground relentlessly, breaking apart the floor, all while crying his eyes out.

Kyrie, the very girl he loved, the girl he had known since childhood, the one who helped him out of his darkest moments was gone. She was in the hands of a dangerous enemy, about to be used for whatever god-forsaken plot they had devised, and he couldn't do anything about it. He had failed.

---

Fiore – Lobster Plantation

Seven Angelos were disassembled by Gildarts' Crush Magic, causing them all to break apart and be destroyed in glorious fashion. Laki pressed her arms to the ground to shoot out a series of wooden spikes that impaled two Bianco Angelos and one Alto Angelo. Morrison rolled underneath the sword slice of one Alto Angelo before pulling his shotgun to the back of its head and opened fire to blast its head clean off, killing it.

"Looks like that's the last of them." Gildarts commented as the three of them were even deeper underground. "That's some serious heat you're packing by the way." He commented on Morrison's shotgun.

"When you're the broker of a Devil Hunter, who just also happens to be a Son of Sparda, you tend to be prepared for these kinds of situations." Morrison replied.

"Guys, look over there." Laki directed their attention to a glowing light at the end of the tunnel. They walked closer to find what appeared to be a woman lying on a bed, the source of light being a set of candles that burned overhead.

"Is… Is that a girl?" Gildarts asked in surprise as they made their way closer to find the girl completely wrapped in bandages, her arm hooked up to an IV connected to a special lacrima.

"Looks like she's still alive." Laki commented as Morrison felt her pulse.

"She's alive alright. But it looks like she hasn't eaten anything or even gotten up out of this bed for a while." The broker observed.

"Who is this girl?" Gildarts wondered. "And why is she tucked away in this musty old cave?"

Laki noticed a set of notes hanging on the wall and picked it up. "Well according to this chart, she underwent extensive surgery after the big accident here several years ago. And what's strange, even if she recovers, that lacrima will keep her in a comatose state."

"Somebody didn't want this girl waking up." Morrison thought with a disgusted expression. "Who is she?"

Laki looked at the charts to find her name, but when she did, she gave a startled gasp. "No way…"

"What is it?" Gildarts questioned.

"This girl's name… is Michelle Lobster!"

"What!?" Both Morrison and Gildarts exclaimed.

"The sole daughter and survivor of the Lobster family. Everyone else died on the plantation." Laki confirmed. "And I'm willing to bet that this is the real deal."

"Wait… if this girl is Michelle…?" Gildarts began.

"Then who's been hanging around Dante and Lucy this entire time?" Morrison finished as the three shared a grave expression. Something told them that they and all their other friends in Fairy Tail had been set up. And it was going to explode in their faces at any minute.

Done.

So, a lot happened in this chapter as well.

It's not just the members of the Order of the Sword (Sanctus, Credo, Agnus, even Byro) that underwent the Ascension Ceremony to obtain their respective Angelo forms. Half of the Neo Oracion Seis did as well (Midnight, Racer, and Erigor) and have obtained a darker transformation called 'Caduto' (Italian for Fallen), and now refer to themselves as Fallen Angels. But take a note, only those three have that transformation; the other members of the Neo Oracion Seis don't, and there is a reason for it, which will be explored in later chapters of this arc.

(Note: I have just now posted what those Caduto transformations look like, as well as Byro's Angelo form on my Deviantart profile page. I had it commissioned a while ago but I choose not to post it till now because of massive spoilers)

As our heroes in Fairy Tail continue to duke it out with the Neo Oracion Seis; we have at least one victory: Wendy, Trish, and Bickslow have successfully killed Erigor. However, another team has failed as the Exceeds, Lahar and Doranbolt were unable to stop Racer from killing Katja, who has revealed the reason behind the Neo Oracion Seis' attacks on the churches.

I'm sure you noticed how I changed some stuff from the anime with that. I killed off Erigor because his whole 'redemption' thing at the end felt unnecessary. Come on, the guy was bad, one of the first big bads in the Fairy Tail canon as he was planning to assassinate Makarov and the other Guildmasters (and later returned as an Enforcer working for the original Oracion Seis). He had no sympathetic qualities whatsoever, so I decided to make him a flat-out bad guy and killed him. He never made another appearance in the future anyway, so why not?

I also killed off Katja, because the whole thing with Anti-Link, as well as the half-dead frozen state for the Celestial Wizards connected to the Infinity Clock felt silly. Killing them felt simpler and something that seemed to fit more with the Devil May Cry theme anyway. And while Katja's death was tragic, it was also necessary. It was a reminder that no matter how hard a hero (or heroes) try, they won't be able to save everyone; but that shouldn't stop them from saving as many as they can. This has also helped Doranbolt get out of his funk, even apologizing to the Fairy Tail Exceeds, who seem to have taken the steps toward forgiveness (you can expect Doranbolt and Wendy to meet later on in this story. Maybe not in this arc, but the start of the GMG with the two having a heart-to-heart, but I digress).

However, just when it seemed like Nero's group would get through to Credo and Mary (the later had no idea Sparda's body was being used and desecrated. There is no way he would ever agree to something like that; Credo may not exactly be heroic, but he's not evil either as the canon has shown), Midnight has kidnapped Kyrie for Sanctus and they have special plans for her.

And if that wasn't enough; Gildarts, Morrison, and Laki have discovered the real Michelle Lobster. Meaning the girl that's been around Dante and Lucy all this time is an imposter. But who is she? What will happen next for our heroes?

Find out next time on Fairy May Cry!