OK, before we begin this chapter, I want to make something VERY clear. I LIKE Gajeel. I have NO problems with him at all! He's a good character that's had great development and his relationship with Levy is something that I really like.

HOWEVER, despite all that, It would be out of character for Bambietta to do less than she does to him in this chapter. It wouldn't feel right to the story and I feel that would be a real disservice to the fans of this story. We wrote this because we had it planned from the very start. We had NO IDEA that Gajeel would end up as he does in cannon. (Whenever it stays or not is irrelevant). In fact, we were going to do even WORSE things to him prior to his cannon incident. MUCH worse. We toned it down a bit for obvious reasons.

I'm just say all this to make it clear, we have NO problems with Gajeel. At all. Got it? OK good.

Please leave us a review so we can have some good feedback, its greatly appreciated. I REALLY want to know what you guys have to say for this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach of fairy tail. Those belong respectively to Tite Kubo and Shounen jump and Hiro Mashima and Weekly shounen magizine. This is just for fun!

Kenshinverse Disclaimer: As you can probably imagine I do not own the Fairy Tail or Bleach series or any of the characters that appear either. The honor of being the man behind Fairy Tail belongs to the one, the only Hiro Mashima. Oh, and Bleach's creation rests solely on the shoulders of Tite Kubo. Oh sure, I've purchased plenty of manga, DVDs, video games and maybe a few too many Rukia Kuchiki and Erza Scarlet action figures and statues (though only the Fairy Tail merchandise remains at this point), but the series themselves? Oh no, they're certainly not mine. You'd know if it were me in charge. Though to explain how different Bleach would be, well to detail that would take a higher word count than this story will eventually end with. Though oddly enough, little would actually change about Fairy Tail. Huh. Go figure.


Oak Town itself was alive now, the battle between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord having spilled out into its very streets. The local residents were making certain to keep away from the action, retreating into their homes.

Gajeel Redfox, however, was not one desiring to retreat. No, the Iron Dragon Slayer was going on the offensive despite the rage that was being presented to him by the Quincy he was now facing.

Gone was the volatile Bambietta with a chip on her shoulder and a mouth that kept on running. She was quiet now, something that left Gajeel wondering just how close she had been to the three wizards he had crucified back in Magnolia.

Whatever concern he may have had was pushed aside, however, the Dragon Slayer lashing out with a right cross. His knuckles smashed across Bambietta's face and there was music to Gajeel's ears then and there, the sound of a jaw creaking and a grunt of pain from his enemy.

Yet there was something that left Gajeel unsettled. Despite the hit, despite her face being pushed to the side, Bambietta's head tilted just enough so that her left eye could glare at Gajeel.

Then she was gone, leaving the Dragon Slayer to be hitting nothing but thin air. His momentum took him forward, the resistance of Bambietta's face no longer keeping him in place, and then he cried out as he felt someone's knuckles smash into the small of his back, directly beside his spine.

Under normal circumstances, causing such pain would be a personal joy to Bambietta, but this was not a normal circumstance for the Quincy. This was not for her sake but for another and it was driving her to act without her usual bluster. She wanted this man to hurt like Levy had hurt and she was going to see that through no matter what it took.

To that end she reached out, the gloved fingers of her right hand latching into Gajeel's coarse hair. Allowing Blut Arterie to empower her, Bambietta twisted her body around, pulling the Dragon Slayer off his feet in one quick motion.

She let go then, allowing the man to sail over her shoulder and into the air. Bambietta watched as his body quickly made contact with a building not far away, brick and mortar creaking under the impact.

Bambietta watched then, intent on enjoying the sight of Gajeel falling, but she was denied that. The man was staying close to the building, leaving the Quincy confused at first. Yet as Bambietta focused her eyes, she could see something extending from the man's feet, metal talons that had hooked into the side of the building. All the while did his fingers simply find purchase in the bricks themselves.

At any other time Bambietta would have simply commented in a sarcastic manner that this man had more tricks than the Dragon Slayers she had come to know, but in this moment she did not care. She simply wanted to cause pain. To that end Bambietta leapt forward, her empowered legs taking her into the sky. She touched down on an invisible platform of concentrated power before taking off once more. Her right hand curling into a fist, she pulled it back as she rocketed towards Gajeel.

"So you want a piece of me literally, huh?" Gajeel quickly dislodged his Iron Dragon's Foot Blades and leapt off of the building. He passed Bambietta in midair, leaving the Quincy to harmlessly strike the already damaged building.

Bambietta was silent as her fist tore through the remnants of the building, becoming lodged within the structure. She began to pull it out, only for her face to contort in pain as Gajeel made his move on the prone Quincy.

The Iron Dragon Slayer had rebounded from the closest building, having leapt back to Bambietta. His foot blades had extended outwards once more, having allowed him to connect with the surface of the building. His left hand gripped tightly to an opening above his head, Gajeel had proceeded to use his free hand to strike Bambietta in the back, to pay her back for the earlier strike.

Bambietta ignored the pain, knowing it was nothing compared to what Levy had experienced. She left her fist embedded within the building, using it to keep her position, and swung her left arm up and over Gajeel. Then she gripped the Dragon Slayer by the back of his head and pushed with all her might, smashing his face directly into the brick structure.

Satisfied by the sound the impact had crafted, Bambietta pulled her arm free from the building. In the back of her mind she was content to have had such precise over Blut, having shifted from Arterie to Vene at the last moment. Now she had no desire for defense, once more switching back to offense.

She used Hirenkyaku to slip behind Gajeel and land atop an invisible platform. It only lasted for a moment, the Quincy leaping forward so as to smash her right knee into the back of Gajeel's head.

That was not enough for Bambietta, however. She turned once more, steadying her feet on the force she had created in the air. The fingers of her right hand swarmed over Gajeel's face and she pulled him away from the building, casting him down to the pavement below.

His body bounced once before settling on the city street and Bambietta looked down at him coldly. She could see he was still moving, the Iron Dragon Slayer getting back up to his feet.

"That's right," Bambietta whispered to herself and no one else. "Get up so I can put you down again."

Bambietta let her platform fade as she leapt forward towards Gajeel, intent on doing just as she had verbalized. However, the Iron Dragon Slayer was prepared. Bambietta could see Gajeel suddenly throwing one of his arms forward, the hand becoming an iron pillar that began to extend and rocket towards her.

The Quincy met the attack head on, Bambietta allowing Blut Vene to infuse her body. She swung out right her right hand, her knuckles smashing into the side of the pillar as it approached, forcing it to push to the side. It was only a few inches but it was enough to leave the pillar skimming past her torso.

Her attack unabated now, Bambietta lashed out with a kick, the heel of her boot smashing into Gajeel's face as she passed him by. The Quincy landed in a crouch and stood up quickly, intent on pressing her advantage. That, however, was when her hearing tipped her off to what her enemy was planning next. "Iron Dragon's Sword!"

Bambietta could see the blade coming about, leaving her to wonder if Gajeel had decided to simply cut her down and take the guild master of Phantom Lord up on his allowance of killing members of Fairy Tail.

"I'll split you in half!"

Any amount of curiosity on Bambietta's part quickly dissipated then, Gajeel's yell having answered her question. She did not really care regardless, knowing that both the Iron Dragon Slayer and the guild master known as Jose Porla were going to be greatly disappointed in a moment.

"It's over," Gajeel shouted, his blade circling about, "Fairy Tail wiz- Huh?"

The boasting of the Dragon Slayer came to a stop, the man staring wide-eyed as his blade was caught midair, a hand encased in a white glove holding it at bay.

Bambietta looked at Gajeel then, her hand trembling slightly as Blut Vene allowed her to hold the massive sword at bay. Bambietta could feel some pain then, no doubt a miniscule cut having been formed on the palm of her hand. Still, it was only minor pain to her. "What's the matter, Dragon Slayer?" the Quincy asked. "Not feeling like number one now?"

Gajeel grew concerned then, the man unable to remember a time his Iron Dragon Sword had been stopped barehanded. He could see a faint amount of blood seeping on to the serrated edges of his blade, restoring some degree of his confidence. "You talk big, but how about I start up rotating my sword's spikes, huh? I bet that will shut you up!"

Bambietta was unsure if Blut Vene could withstand that, but she was also unwilling to test her luck under such circumstances. She could see the serrated portions outlining the sword beginning to hum to life, to vibrate. Before it truly got going, she lashed out with her right hand. The force of her blow pushed the blade away, forcing Gajeel to drop his sword hand to the ground. Satisfied, the Quincy turned her gaze back on Gajeel.

Then, without warning, the man placed his free hand against Bambietta's stomach, his palm pressing directly against it. Before the Quincy could do anything, the man's hand formed into a pillar that grew in length, sending her careening back until Bambietta was pinned to a building.

"See, I knew you didn't have the stomach for this fight," Gajeel said as he retracted the pillar, both it and the sword returning to the shape of his hands. "You and Shadow Gear, you both make Fairy Tail look like a joke."

"Keeping talking about Levy like that," Bambietta hissed as she began to pull herself away from the building, "and I promise you're going to be the punch line."

"What the hell kind of threat was that?" Gajeel asked as he looked at the approaching Bambietta. She was slightly unsteady on her feet at first, but her balance was returning to her. She was walking towards Gajeel slowly then, a grim determination in her eyes. It left the man somewhat concerned and he resorted to one of his favored techniques to put her down. "Iron Dragon's Roar!"

A whirlwind of metal and magic began to advance on Bambietta. Despite the approaching attack, the Quincy did not let her expression change in any way. She simply stepped to the side in a flash, Hirenkyaku allowing her to approach Gajeel without any difficulty. The Iron Dragon's Roar simply struck the building behind the Quincy, leaving her unharmed.

Gajeel did not relent however, simply leaning back and taking a deep breath before unleashing the attack again. "Iron Dragon's Roar!"

Bambietta saw the attack coming once more, Hirenkyaku taking her safely to the right and a few feet closer. Before she even came to a complete stop did another vortex of metallic shards and magic approach her and the Quincy simply evaded it with her enhanced speed once more.

Gajeel was running out of breath, the Dragon Slayer watching as Bambietta grew closer and closer, the Quincy never breaking her stride. "You little coward!" he shouted, his patience at its end. "You know you can't handle that attack! You're afraid, aren't you?"

Bambietta stopped in her tracks then, cold eyes looking at Gajeel. "Afraid?" That did not sit well with the Quincy at all. No, it was the Iron Dragon Slayer who was she wanted to experience fear on this battlefield. She would have to make that reality no matter what it took. "You know what, Dragon Slayer?"

Bambietta summoned her bow and turned suddenly, firing an arrow into the ground. It dissipated quickly, leaving a charred hole in the pavement not five feet away from her. She then looked back to Gajeel.

"Hit me," Bambietta said. "Now. With everything you've got. This is the only chance I'm giving you. But I promise you that I will not go past that marker. And then, when it's over, I'm going to come for you."

Gajeel looked at Bambietta, the Iron Dragon Slayer doing his best to ignore the eerie calmness in her voice. "Look at the big, bad member of Fairy Tail wizard trying to act tough. Is that a threat you just dropped on me?"

"No," Bambietta replied simply enough. "It's a promise."

"Too bad for you that you won't be able to keep it!" Gajeel tilted his head back, drawing on as much of the magical power coursing through his body that he could. Then he pitched his body forward, screaming at the top of his lungs. "Iron Dragon's Roar!"

Bambietta watched then as the now-familiar mass of magic fired towards her. As it threatened to envelope her, the Quincy simply raised her right hand. Her veins came alive with a blue glow that shone through her skin, Blut Vene having been activated to its fullest extent.

Bambietta flinched ever so slightly as the vortex of magic and metal made contact with the palm of her hand, yet still she was able to keep it at bay. However, much to Bambietta's dismay, her feet were beginning to skid across the pavement. That irritated the Quincy to no end.

Injuring Gajeel was all well and good, but it was not what Bambietta wanted most of all. It had been the case at first, but as she had taken his measure in battle and began to understand what made him tick, she had decided on a new course. Breaking his body could wait until after she had broken his spirit. She wanted to shatter his pride, to tear away his self-esteem, to crush his confidence as a warrior. She wanted to show him how truly outclassed he was, to take away his dignity and grind it underneath the heel of her boot.

Physical wounds would heal in time, but damage to the heart and soul was something that would take far longer to mend. Even if her memories were lost in a haze, Bambietta knew full well how much indignation such as that could hurt. Soul Reaper and fellow Quincy alike, they had taken from her everything, from her self-respect to her honor.

It was only fitting then that Bambietta inflict that haunting and familiar pain on another that had hurt one she cared about.

Bambietta's face contorted in rage, glimpses of Captain Saijin Komamura and Giselle Gewelle shattering with her mind's eye. Her failures as a Stern Ritter were fading from her memory for the time being, the more immediate and pertinent memories coming to the fore.

As her feet continued to push back towards the marker she had set, the Iron Dragon's Roar giving her no end of difficulty, Bambietta could see only one image before her. Her eyes playing tricks on her, all the Quincy could see was Levy bloodied and battered, crucified and left to fend for herself.

Bambietta screamed then, bringing her left hand forward to join the right. She pushed against the onslaught of magic and iron shards, the shrapnel clawing at the palms of her hands. Already had blood been drawn by the Iron Dragon Sword that had been caught, only adding to the pain.

However, Bambietta did not care. She was going to hold her ground. She was going to overcome this attack of Gajeel's, to show him how worthless it was in this fight.

Bambietta felt the heel of her right leg, having extended back to brace her, make contact with the hole her arrow had made in the pavement. That only infuriated the Quincy further and she did concentrate fully on the magical attack before her.

Her soul began to reach out to the energy within the Iron Dragon's Roar, the Quincy's own power making contact. Gajeel's magic was wild and out of control, something so very different than most Bambietta had come to sense within Fairy Tail. Even Natsu's own power was calm in comparison, the Fire Dragon Slayer's very being one of a rambunctious nature. Gajeel's, however, was untamed and out of control.

That was precisely why Bambietta was so easily able to connect with it, to form a connection between her power and his. It repulsed her now, to see anything in common with the Iron Dragon Slayer, but for now she did not let that stop her.

She allowed her heritage as a Quincy to do what it was meant to, to take power from her surrounding environment and make it her own. Magic particle began to seep out of the Iron Dragon's Roar, before disappearing within Bambietta's own spiritual pressure.

Her hands began to pierce the void of magic before her, the Iron Dragon's Roar weakening and the rate of absorption increasing. The attack continued to shrink, the very magic that composed it becoming one with Bambietta's own spiritual nature.

Then the Iron Dragon's Roar was no more, Bambietta standing alone and letting out a gasp. No longer supported by the magic vortex, scraps of metal collapsed to the ground before the Quincy, rendered harmless.

"What the hell did you do?" Gajeel whispered, his voice suddenly rising as he screamed in repetition. "What the hell did you do?!"

Bambietta looked over her shoulder, taking note that she had not fallen behind the marker she had set with her arrow. She smiled and looked back at Gajeel, a dangerous glint of power in her eyes. "Exactly what I said I'd do. And now I'm going to keep my promise."

Bambietta suddenly charged at Gajeel, Hirenkyaku propelling her forward. The knuckles of her right hand drove into his sternum, causing the Dragon Slayer to flinch in pain. However, he was quick to respond. Gajeel lashed out with attacks of his own, his fists striking out at Bambietta in a volley of unrelenting desperation. None managed to connect, the Quincy remaining quick on her feet. She remained untouched, Gajeel's knuckles grazing after images at best, empty air at the worst.

Bambietta returned the unsuccessful attack, her right hand smashing into Gajeel's face. In the blink of an eye, the Quincy's left fist struck the Dragon Slayer's face from the other side. It was over as fast as it had begun, the two hit combination attack having been performed in rapid succession.

Gajeel kept his eyes open despite the influx of pain, the man catching sight of the Quincy's eyes staring at him with the same cold disdain as they had since she had learned of his part in Levy's pain. It only made Gajeel more frustrated. He grit his teeth and lashed out with a volley of attacks once more.

Once more his irritation grew, Bambietta slipping between his hits with unnerving ease. Then one of her knee shot up from the side, the Quincy burying it into the pit of Gajeel's stomach. Before he could even register the hit, Bambietta spun around, the heel of her right foot tearing across his face.

The force of the blow pushed Gajeel back several yards, his feet skidding across the pavement. He stopped only when the talons burst forth from the soles of his feet, plunging into the ground.

However, before he could make a move of his own, Bambietta was on him again. The Quincy lashed out with another fist that struck the Dragon Slayer directly beneath his rib cage, her other hand suddenly coming in from the side and smashing into the side of his skull.

The force of the blow was enough to twist Gajeel's head a bit, his teeth rattling. Despite his pain, he did not relent or stop planning a counterattack. Fists had failed, but he hoped another approach would aide him better. To that end he let his talons slip back into his body and lashed out with his right leg, hoping to catch Bambietta off guard.

Bambietta saw it however, the Quincy raising a Blut Vene infused arm in response. The foot bounced off her forearm, leaving Bambietta unfazed. However, she could see that she had to turn this up a notch. With one thought, one quick command, she switched Blut Vene out for Blut Arterie.

Then, with her physical strength increased, she smashed the knuckles of her right hand directly into Gajeel's face. His body fell back, hitting the ground and all but bouncing off from the force. He flipped in midair, his momentum not his own, and Bambietta was quick to press her advantage.

Without a word or a moment's hesitation, she brought her right fist down, striking Gajeel in the back of the head as he struggled to stand back up. Then her left hand came down next, her knuckles grinding into flesh and bone.

She watched then as Gajeel turned his pain wracked face upwards, the Quincy having hoped for that moment. Her right hand shot forward, the open palm smashing into the center of his face that he was sent flying backwards once more.

Bambietta watched as Gajeel landed on his feet, his balance unsteady. Yet much to her surprise he lunged forward again, a roar of defiance in his voice. He lashed out, fully intent on trying to strike Bambietta once more.

She never let him have the chance. She simply charged him as well, a kick of her own burying itself within his stomach. The momentum of the Quincy's reversed the Dragon Slayer's own and she pushed him back. It still was not enough for Bambietta and she spun herself around once more, the kick she lashed out with catching Gajeel in the face with enough force that his body careened upwards into the air.

Bambietta watched as Gajeel propelled several yards up into the air, the Quincy ever the unrelenting one. Hirenkyaku took her skywards faster than she her attack had provoked from Gajeel, the Quincy appearing above him.

She let her power go for a moment, gravity taking hold as she descending upon the Iron Dragon Slayer. Her right hand empowered by Blut Arterie, Bambietta struck it against Gajeel's face, the Quincy pushing him back to the ground with such force that the impact their landing created kicked up a swarm of dust.

Bambietta stood then, looking down at the battered Gajeel. She shook her right hand, opening her fist as she began to take a few steps back.

Gajeel, meanwhile, managed to remain conscious despite beating he had received. His head was spinning, his thoughts a jumble, but there was one thing he knew in his heart. He would not allow himself to be beaten like this. Not by a member of Fairy Tail. However, the Dragon Slayer also felt a slight bit of hesitation in continuing this battle in the manner in which he had been pursuing. He had drawn blood with some of his attacks, but the wounds that had been inflicted were miniscule at best. It was becoming clear that he could not simply hurt this woman as easily as he had wished, while she was able to inflict pain without much difficulty. She had ravaged in him in the last exchange, something he knew was unacceptable to him.

No, Gajeel had to remind himself that it was fine. The Dragon Slayer had been in dire straits before and he despite his outward appearance, he was no fool. He knew how to turn an opponent's superior strength against them. He knew how to protect himself while causing harm to an opponent that excelled in staying on the offensive. He was the Iron Dragon Slayer, the prodigy of the dragon known as Metalicana, an S-Class wizard of the biggest guild in all of Fiore. He could not be felled so easily.

Gajeel began to draw on his body's innate powers, his hands closing into fists as the power began to flow around his body. He cried out then, calling to that very power that was his to command. "Iron Dragon's Scales!"

Bambietta halted her movement then, the Quincy watching as a transformation began to overtake Gajeel's body. His skin began to change in coloration, becoming a dark gray that shone under the light of the sun. The magic that encircled the mage faded then, leaving Bambietta to simply stare at his new, metallic form.

"What's the matter?" Gajeel asked as he began to make his own advancement towards the Quincy, his confidence renewed. "No witty retort? No threats? Well, fine. I'll provide the narration. It's my turn now, so give me your best shot. Because now... you can't hope to hurt me now. Not anymore."

Bambietta said nothing, the Quincy still intent on defeating this Dragon Slayer and proving the futility of any tricks he could muster. She was going to shatter his pride no matter what the cost; the only thing that had changed was she knew that she would have to shatter his body now that it had become what it had.

The fingers of her left hand flexed outwards for a moment before quickly curling into a fist. She leapt towards Gajeel then, Hirenkyaku propelling her forward. She swung her fist forward, aiming for the confident Iron Dragon Slayer's metallic face.

Then there was pain, Bambietta's hand screaming at her for what she had just done. Her knuckle pressing against Gajeel's iron scales, she could hear the sound of bones crunching, her fingers no doubt becoming dislocated by the force she had just generated.

Gajeel smiled, his fangs on clear display as he looked down the length of Bambietta's arm at her face, her expression one of pain. "What did I just say?"

Before Bambietta knew what was happening, Gajeel's right hand struck her beneath the chest, causing the Quincy to gasp in pain, her eyes bulging. The force of the lifted Bambietta off her feet, the impact and kinetic force that Gajeel had generated with his strike causing the air currents themselves to shift and move.

Bambietta's body hit the ground hard, her shoulder blade bouncing off the pavement before she at last came to a stop. Her right hand clutched at her stomach as she coughed, the Quincy left in a state of disbelief. She had been no fun, having dared not shift from Blut Vene to the Arterie form until she had assessed what her opponent had become, but even the defensive technique had not carried her through. Her own attack had very nearly broken her hand and one punch from Gajeel had done more damage than he had managed the entire fight up until now.

Bambietta could feel something hot on the bottom of her face and she reached up with her right hand, gingerly touching the flesh by the corner of her mouth. As Bambietta pulled her hand away, she could see the white fabric stained with blood. Her blood. It was oozing from the corner of her mouth, but the Quincy did not care. The Quincy managed to smile as she looked at Gajeel. "Please tell me that's not the best you can-"

"Iron Dragon's Club!"

Gajeel's voice drowned out Bambietta's own, an iron pillar suddenly drilling into the woman's torso, pushing forward and dragging her back against the pavement. Her Blut Vene empowered body tore through the pavement, shattering stone for the duration.

"Fall!" Gajeel screamed. "Fall, you piece of shit!"

Bambietta coughed up blood as she felt her body collide with brick and mortar, her body no doubt tearing through the wall of a building. The sun light began to fade, the Quincy finding herself soon within a darkened complex, trace amounts of candle light the only illumination the interior of the building provided.

She lay on her back for a moment, blood continuing to drip down from the corners of her mouth, the Quincy gingerly touching her torso with her right hand. She winced slightly, Bambietta having to wonder if Gajeel's attack had managed to crack a rib.

Then Bambietta could hear it, the sound of footsteps within the solitude of the structure she had been forced into. Soon they were joined by an all too familiar voice.

"So," Gajeel said as he approached the prone Bambietta, "you had enough yet or am I going to have to get rough?"

Gajeel received no response, the Dragon Slayer left to stare at Bambietta's still body.

"I guess that was enough." Gajeel turned away then, prepared to step out into the sunlight and return to the Phantom Lord guild hall. He had cleaning up to do, so many other Fairy Tail wizards to defeat. The destruction of the Fairy Tail guild hall had not truly won Jose Porla's favor. The crucifixion of Shadow Gear had not either. Gajeel could only hope that the defeat of the likes of this woman and perhaps either Salamander or Titania would force his guild master to recognize his greatness and stop overlooking Gajeel in favor of the newest recruits.

"Is that all you've got?"

Gajeel stopped in his tracks, the Iron Dragon Slayer's eyes widening in shock as he heard the voice of his downed opponent. He turned then, looking back into the dimly lit building.

There he saw it, Bambietta Basterbine standing defiantly. Her cloak was tattered from the savagery of their fight, yet the Quincy herself looked no worse for wear.

No, she was simply staring at Gajeel in return, the cold fury in her eyes having yet to fade. However, there was some perverse satisfaction she could take now.

Bambietta could see it, the look of dread and shock etched upon the Iron Dragon Slayer's face. It was exactly what she had been hoping for.

Bambietta had been momentarily surprised by Gajeel's sudden strength, but she had taken advantage of it. This was an old habit old habit that Yhwach had instilled in his Stern Ritter, a lesson Bambietta had remembered for so very long. True despair could only be obtained through the illusion of hope.

Now she could see the formation of that despair upon Gajeel. However, it was only the start.

"That iron scaled body of yours," Bambietta began to say as she brought her right hand forward, her sword forming within her grip. "Tell me, does it bleed?"

Bambietta suddenly appeared before Gajeel's eyes, the Quincy having all but invaded his personal space with Hirenkyaku. Before he could say a word in protest or simply attack her, the Dragon Slayer felt pain.

However, what he had felt he could see as well, Bambietta holding her sword before her. Gajeel could see it clearly, red liquid dribbling off of the edge of the blade. He glanced down then and could see a matching stain adorning his chest, his own blood oozing down his chest from a shallow wound. His very dragon scales having been torn asunder, fragments of them falling from the cut that had been made.

"That's what I thought," Bambietta said calmly as she looked at the injury she had created. "But I want more."

"To hell with that!" Gajeel's hand began to shift into its sword form, the man still on the edge of desperation. "Iron Dragon's Sword!"

The Dragon Slayer swung outwards with his weapon, only for Bambietta to vanish from sight. Hirenkyaku took her behind Gajeel then and she shifted her grip on her own weapon, holding it in a reverse grip. Without allowing for a moment's hesitation, Bambietta plunged it downward then, the tip of the short sword digging into Gajeel's left shoulder.

The Iron Dragon Slayer cried out in pain as the blade pierced his scales once more, the edge of the weapon threatening to tear through muscle and connect with his bones. He stumbled forward then as Bambietta retracted her blade, blood whipping through the air in the process.

Gajeel's sword reverted back to its original form, his hand reaching up to clutch at his shoulder as he stumbled through the building he and the Quincy had found themselves in. He turned to look over his wounded shoulder than, watching as Bambietta slowly began to walk towards him. She was caught in the illumination of the sea of candles that lined the walls, the glow leaving a hellish sight for the Dragon Slayer to process. Yet it was not the Quincy he was paying attention to.

No, it was the blood that adorned her sword. His blood.

Gajeel began to panic, metallic shards extending out from his forearm, the created daggers falling between the fingers of his right hand. Concern evident in his every move, the Dragon Slayer swung the hand in an arc before him. He watched as the daggers flung towards Bambietta, the ebony metal obscured by the darkness of the room the fight had fallen into.

Yet, much to Gajeel's dismay, Bambietta's blade met the daggers head on. The sound of metal clashing against metal rang through the room, the jagged knives of the Iron Dragon Slayer's being redirected as Bambietta's sword struck against them in a flash. They flung about the room then, blood separated from Bambietta's sword and splattering about as well.

However, Gajeel was not dismayed for long. His trump card was on its way, the last makeshift dagger he had thrown. It had trailed behind the barrage that had been the first wave, his way of attempting to take the Quincy by surprise. He had chosen his target well, the knife heading directly for the space between Bambietta's eyes.

Then, without warning, the Quincy's free hand was before her face, a glow pulsing outwards from the woman's fangs. Bambietta had caught the dagger within the palm of her hand not an inch from her face. She pulled the weapon away from her and began to walk towards Gajeel.

The Iron Dragon Slayer could hear as the knife was snapped in half, Bambietta dropping her hand by her side and letting the fragment parts fall to the ground. Growing desperate, Gajeel began to draw on the remaining dregs of magic power he had left.

"Iron Dragon's Ro-"

Hirenkyaku took Bambietta directly in front of Gajeel then, the displacement of air causing the candles within the room to flicker. Her left hand was wrapped around Gajeel's face, holding tightly with Blut Arterie to keep his jaw shut.

"I'm sick of you hearing you say that," Bambietta said as she looked at her opponent.

The Iron Dragon's Roar was out of control now, the power unleashed. With nowhere to go, Gajeel's jaws locked tight, the power all but exploded within his mouth. His eyes widened, the blood vessels within his eyes becoming visible for the briefest of moments as a scream echoed beneath Bambietta's hand.

The Quincy pulled her hand way from Gajeel then, watching as he stumbled away blood seeping out from the corner of his mouth.

"Where's all that tough talk now, Dragon Slayer?" Bambietta asked, his tone even and cold with each syllable spoken. "What? Did I make you choke on your own words? It doesn't matter either way. I want more blood!"

Bambietta lashed out with her sword again, targeting the wound she had already made upon Gajeel's metallic chest. The Iron Dragon Slayer could see the attack coming, the man knowing he was in dire straits now. His dragon scales were not offering him the protection he had hope and his magical energies were all but spent. He needed a boost and badly.

Desperation clouding his mind, he lunged towards Bambietta's sword, his bloodied mouth opening wide. The pain was great but Gajeel ignored it. He had turned Bambietta's offense against her once before and he was determined to do so again.

The Iron Dragon Slayer's teeth bit into the short sword of Bambietta's, tearing it asunder in one bite. Gajeel ripped his head away from the Quincy then, the Iron Dragon Slayer swallowing the shards of shattered metal.

He felt it then, a wave of power filling his very body. He had always been able to replenish his magical capacity by consuming metals, but this was different. By devouring the blade, Gajeel had felt as if he was momentarily experiencing a high. The power was surprisingly potent. Grinning, he looked at Bambietta. "Broke your sword."

Bambietta let the blade vanish into thin air, swinging her arm at Gajeel empty handed. Yet as she did so, a new one appeared in a burst of light. "Got another."

Panicking, Gajeel raised his right arm up in a defensive position, the Dragon Slayer gritting his teeth in pain as the new sword cut through the iron scales across his forearm. Blood sprayed out into the air, the light of the candles flickering off the red liquid.

"Damn it..." Gajeel found himself unable to move either of set of fingers. His left arm was hanging limp from the shoulder down and now he could not find any mobility within his right hand starting by the wrist. He could only imagine what muscles Bambietta had pierced or shredded in her assault. "I can't... won't... lose to you..."

"You just don't get it," Bambietta hissed as she let her sword vanish into thin air. She glanced down then, unconcerned that she was potentially giving Gajeel an opening to attack. "Did you think I was going all out earlier? Do you think I'm going all out right now?"

Gajeel's breath all but caught in his throat, his heart rate beginning to increase. This woman, this Fairy Tail wizard, she had to providing empty boasts. There was simply no way Gajeel could begin to believe her threats, and yet his mind was begging him to believe for his own sake if no one else's.

"Let me show you," Bambietta began to say, the visor of her hat tipping and revealing her eerily calm eyes, "what I'm truly capable of."

Gajeel was unsure of what he saw next, the Dragon Slayer wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him. There was a momentary glow upon Bambietta's eyes, perhaps one born of her power or simply a product of the candles' flames flickering across the Quincy's optics.

Whatever the case was, Gajeel was left to wonder if what he saw next was a product of his imagination. There was a distortion within his eyesight, one that hovered over Bambietta Basterbine. Then, without warning, the Iron Dragon Slayer felt a pressure against his entire body. It was no mundane experience. No, it felt as if he had plunged down to the bottom of the ocean, the depths threatening to crush his entire existence beneath its force.

That was far from the end of it, however. There was a sensation of dread, one that was threatening to seize hold of Gajeel heart and soul. His mind was racing, his nerves becoming shot as he felt as if his entire existence was under attack. It was unexplainable, the moment Gajeel had found himself within beyond his understanding or ken.

His heart racing, his thoughts a jumble, he felt his last remaining traces of magic whip up into a storm as if even that was being assaulted by the unfathomable pressure that was working against him. The Dragon Slayer's iron scales began to falter and recede, his flesh returning to its natural state. That only compounded his fear.

His body having lost any remaining defense, Gajeel felt his chest begin to scream in response to the force pushing down on every inch of his body. His breathing began to become truly erratic, the man struggling to bringing oxygen into his lungs. Sweat began to form around his body, his skin glistening beneath the candle light as his mind truly gave way to fear.

"Can you feel it?" Bambietta whispered. "I hope so, because I'm practically baring my soul for you. Hurts, doesn't it?"

Bambietta's face contorted slightly, the skin around her nose and upper mouth folding as she allowed anger to truly display on her face. Driven by unfettered rage, the spiritual pressure that was Bambietta's burst forth from her body and soul with greater force than before, the weight of it all crashing down upon Gajeel.

A forced breath burst forth from his mouth, a whimper of pain mingled within it, and the Dragon Slayer felt his legs buckle under the Bambietta's power.

"Don't you dare even try and fight it," Bambietta hissed. "You will fucking kneel this instant."

As if her spiritual pressure existed solely to enunciate her words, Bambietta's power spiked once more. It forced Gajeel down then, the Iron Dragon Slayer's right knee bending first, following by the left. His breathing continued in a ragged state, the man's chest heaving as his eyes stared wide up at Bambietta.

"You..." Gajeel whispered, his voice all but lost to him. "You're a... a damned monster..."

"I suppose one monster would recognize another." Bambietta looked down at Gajeel from beneath her bangs, her eyes once more possessing an icy calmness. "The difference is, I'm the kind of monster that ends other monsters."

As Gajeel knelt helpless before Bambietta, her spiritual pressure keeping restrained, the Quincy simply looked down on him. It had taken Bambietta a great deal of effort to get the Iron Dragon Slayer where he was now. She had needed to beat him down, to remove resistance from the options before him. Only when his body was weak and his defenses weakened could she have attacked him as she was now.

It had taken effort and now she wanted to savor this moment. To that end, the Quincy reached out and took hold of the Dragon Slayer's right hand with her left. Her touch was gentle, a stark contrast to her soul's power. She brought Gajeel's arm up then, the Quincy holding him by the wrist.

"You know why I'm doing this, yes?" Bambietta asked as her right hand wrapped around Gajeel's index finger. "Come on, give me a damn answer."

Gajeel's voice was low and ragged, the Dragon Slayer still struggling to speak through the crushing force Bambietta's spiritual pressure. "Because I... I hurt... your friends..."

"That's right," Bambietta whispered. "I hate to admit it, but you and I? We're very much alike. The big problem is... you hurt someone precious to me. And now you owe me a scream."

Bambietta tightened her grips on both Gajeel's wrist and his index finger. Then, without a moment's hesitation, she pulled back on the Dragon Slayer's finger, snapping it at the junction where it connected to his hand.

There was no scream, but a simple gasp of pain from Gajeel's throat as his eyes widened for a moment. It was dissatisfying to Bambietta on some level, but the Quincy knew she had so many more fingers to work with to get the proper result.

"That was for Levy, you son of a bitch," Bambietta hissed as she let go of the broken finger. She took hold of the closest one available, her hand gripping tightly upon Gajeel's middle finger. "But you know what? So's this."

Bambietta pulled back on Gajeel's middle finger much more fiercely then she had the first, the Quincy relishing the sound of cracking bones as she all but forced Gajeel's finger to fall out of alignment. She had gotten another gasp from Gajeel, but that was not good enough still.

"You know what I want," Bambietta whispered as she grabbed Gajeel's ring finger. "Get it through your thick skull. You're going to scream for me, Dragon Slayer. You're going to scream for Levy too. You got it?"

Bambietta prepared to break the next finger, pausing for a minute as she looked at Gajeel's eyes.

"Just.. do it already..." the Dragon Slayer said, his voice unfettered and on the edge. "Just-"

"No." Bambietta suddenly let go of Gajeel's hand, letting it drop by his side. Her voice was a stark contrast to his own, calm and steady in its poise. The Quincy looked deep within Gajeel's eyes. "Forget the scream. I know exactly what I want from you. What I want to take from you."

Bambietta's spiritual pressure suddenly spiked, Gajeel's view of the world around him suddenly convulsing. His heart began to pound within his chest once more, his breathing going out of control. The Dragon Slayer had grown complacent, his body having grown accustomed to the constant pressure Bambietta had been subjecting it to. Now, however, she was increasing the soul crushing force, leaving Gajeel to feel as if he was on the leaving this mortal coil.

"Now then," Bambietta said as the fingers of her right hand began to close around the handle of a sword that came into existence, "I want you to tell me something, Dragon Slayer. What is it you want in life?"

Despite his circumstances, Gajeel was thrown off by the question. "Why... should I tell-"

"What do you want from your future?" Bambietta suddenly screamed, her composure slipping. "Tell me so that I can take it all away from you right this instant."

Despite all he was feeling, Gajeel could not help himself. The Iron Dragon Slayer chuckled slightly, his voice still engulfed in pain. "The joke's... on you... I ain't got any dreams... Or any hopes... for the future..."

Bambietta's face grew mellow in its complexion again, the Quincy glaring at Gajeel with no amount of seething anger obscured within her brown eyes. "First the scream, now this. You're just dying to deny me my vengeance. Fine. Be that way."

Bambietta's hand trembled, her sword shaking ever so slightly in response. Gajeel paid no attention to it, his eyes locked on Bambietta's own. There was a rage still evident, one that left the man wondering if he was going to survive this day.

There was a part of him that wondered if he could even care. The man had spoken the truth. He lived for the moment and nothing else. He had no hopes, no dreams, no aspirations for his future. The member of Fairy Tail could strike him down here and now and he would lose nothing in expectations. His thoughts saw nothing in the future.

No, it was simply the past the Dragon Slayer found himself reflecting on. Of a family he had never known, of a dragon that had taken him in and raised him, only to vanish without a word, of a guild that had passed him by in favor of new blood.

It was a life of abandonment, something that left Gajeel Redfox wondering if that was the reason why he had no goals or aspirations. Everything that meant something to him went away in the end, so what was the point?

However, his mind lost in thought, the Dragon Slayer could remember well the last thing that Metalicana, the dragon that had raised him, had said before his disappearance.

"You are such an impertinent child! I swear, if you don't stop being such an obnoxious little upstart, it will be the death of you! I will not allow you to waste my teachings!"

Gajeel chuckled slightly, the young man beginning to remember well that Metalicana, despite his attitude, had cared. However, it did not matter to Gajeel. The foster father of a dragon had abandoned him in the end.

"I guess... this is what he was warning me about..."

Bambietta heard Gajeel whispering to himself, the Quincy wondering if the Dragon Slayer had gone mad with fear. If he had, that was simply an added treat for Bambietta.

The Quincy could see it again, Levy's still body, both blood and Phantom Lord's emblem adorning it, hanging from a tree. Bambietta's hand tightened around the grip of her sword, the woman knowing she could end this so easily.

Gajeel was frozen in place, his will shattered and his body under the duress of Bambietta's spiritual pressure. One swift stroke and she could remove his head from his body. It would be so simple, to avenge the pain of another.

That made it just, right? Yes, it had to. Bambietta had killed so many people for her own sake, for her own twisted desires, but this was different. She was not going to kill Gajeel for herself. No, she was going to kill him because of what he had done to Levy. It was different. It had to be different.

Bambietta slowly began to raise the sword up, the Quincy looking down upon Gajeel as his head lowered. "So you don't have anything to look forward to, huh? Well guess what? I'll take care of that for you. Because when you're gone, nobody is going to be lonely. You won't be missed."

Bambietta felt it then, a chill that ran down her spine. Her fingers loosened around her sword, a voice of the past running through her thoughts. A voice that belonged to a time that grew further and further away with each passing day, but never far enough.

"Don't worry, Bambi. We'll take care of you. I mean... We'd be lonely without you. I mean it."

The corners of Bambietta's upper lip began to curl up, her nose scrunching as she began to speak in a ragged whisper. "Shut up."

Gajeel could hear it just as clearly, the Dragon Slayer looking up at Bambietta. Gone was the horrifying indifference that had consumed her face. Gone was the cold hatred. She was growing visibly upset, but it was not simply rage that Gajeel could see.

Bambietta's eyes began to dart around, the Quincy focusing away from Gajeel with her sight. However, despite that, her spiritual powers continued to press down on him, no worse than ever before. The Quincy was beginning to lose herself in the moment, her emotions plaguing her spiritual strength.

"I... I was..."

Bambietta's eyes were beginning to grow accustomed to the dark night, the Quincy slowly beginning to make out the interior of the building past the dim light of the candles. All the while did her thoughts continue to play tricks on her, glimpses of the past echoing across her sight.

She could see the most recent first, the beaten Gajeel looking up at her. It was gone in a flash, leaving only the sight of four Quincy staring down as if they were vultures that had found their prey. That too vanished in an instant, the faces fading away as another began to come into place. A familiar face, one that Bambietta had been distrustful of at first, only for her to find solace in it. Erza Scarlet was, in the end, the furthest thing from Giselle Gewelle.

"If you act on your impulses, if you forget everything I've taught you these last few days, then you will bring Fairy Tail down into the darkness with you. The Magic Council will imprison you. They will disband this guild. Levy, Lucy, Wendy and all the others? They will have no place to call their home. You, Bambietta Basterbine, will have taken that from them. Not Phantom Lord. You."

Then Erza's face was gone from the mind's eye of Bambietta. All she was left with then was the still image of Levy lying in bed, her wounds being treated by Wendy. That was when Bambietta heard her own voice at last.

"I'll do right by you. I promise."

Bambietta's eyes stopped their erratic movements then, the Quincy staring blankly into the fading darkness as her eyes began to look past it.

"How... how can I?" she whispered. All the while did the Quincy begin to make out the finer details of the interior she had found herself in. She was at last beginning to realize where her fight with Gajeel had taken them both. From the rows of pews meant for seating that stretched out before her to the altar that lay in wait at the end of the aisle, the Quincy could see that she and the Dragon Slayer had entered a church.

Bambietta's eyes widened for a moment, the Quincy wishing she had not come here. For so long she had avoided Kardia Cathedral in Magnolia for so long. It was simply not a place for her. After everything she had done, what she had become, it could never be a place for her.

"No..."

Bambietta's felt a chill run across her skin, a memory that predated so much of her troubled soul coming to the surface. For the briefest of moments she could see a church very much the same as the one she was now in, a gentle hand holding her own as it guided Bambietta to a place to sit. Then Bambietta could hear a voice, one that had once belonged to her.

"Momma, if we know the afterlife is a bad place, then why do we go to church?"

Bambietta lowered her head then, her soul and her spiritual pressure continuing to wax and wane. She could see it then, the comforting expression of Liebe Basterbine.

"I know it might not make sense to you now, but it's because I have faith in a better world, a better afterlife, that gets me through the toughest of times. I know you might not understand, but I feel that there has to be something beyond the Soul Society, something worth believing in. And I... I want you to have such faith as well, my daughter."

"But why, Momma?"

"I get very sick at times, Bambi, and because of that I'm not going to be around forever. Someday I'm going to have to go to the afterlife and be beside God and I... I want you to have faith that everything will be all right. Because I... I want to know that no matter what happens, you'll stay the wonderful daughter that I brought into this world."

Bambietta's eyes widened as she snapped back to reality, to the here and now. She could see Gajeel kneeling prostrate before her. She paid him no mind after a moment's passing, the Quincy instead looking down at her right hand and the sword it held.

Bambietta's right arm dropped to her side, her left hand rising up and covering her eyes. The Quincy trembled slightly then, her sword dropping away. It clattered against the marble flooring of the church before breaking apart into the blue components of light that it had originally formed from.

Bambietta continued to look down at Gajeel then, a red haze descending over the Quincy's sight. He had been close to becoming just another victim of her rage, just as so many had before him. Soul Reapers, Hollows and even other Quincy; it had all been the same to Bambietta. No matter how she tried to justify what she had been on the verge of doing just now, it did not change the nature of the act she had almost committed.

Bambietta's mouth began to move, trembling as it struggled to speak, to form words. She began to walk past Gajeel then, the Quincy's every step slow and uneven. Her spiritual pressure relented then and there, leaving the Iron Dragon Slayer free from it.

However, he was not free of his pain or his wounds. Gajeel collapsed upon his back. He turned his head so that he could keep an eye on the woman who had defeated him, the Dragon Slayer unsure of what to make of her actions. Still, despite that, he managed to weakly speak up. "What? Ain't you gonna... finish punishing me?"

"We're both the same," Bambietta replied with a whisper that Gajeel could barely here. "We're both sick with sin. But I'm... I'm..."

Bambietta continued to walk away, the Quincy moving down the aisle of the church. She stopped only when she reached the alter, Bambietta looking at the ornate wall before her.

"I've hurt people, I've killed people," the Quincy continued to whisper. "Enemies and friends, and not always because I needed to fight."

Bambietta looked down at her right hand, her eyes focusing upon the Sanrei Glove that carried with it so many painful memories simply by existing. The hand began to rise up, joined by the left, and Bambietta's face fell into both as she dropped to her knees.

"I failed you, mother."


As he continued to ascend the stairway that would take him to Jose Porla's office, Makarov Dreyer was fueled by a rage he found alien to himself. He hoped it would fade in time, but when he saw his fellow guild master and Wizard Saint sitting atop what was very clearly designed to appear as a throne, his anger only intensified.

"Welcome, Makarov," Jose said as his eyes peeked out from beneath the pointed hat that adorned his head. "I take it you received my messages."

Makarov was doing his best to keep his calm, the mage looking at Jose with some level of disgust instead of anger. "You and I should be better than this, Jose. We are both part of the Wizard Saints as chosen by the Magic Council."

"Fine titles," Jose commented, the man simply resting the side of his face in one of his hands. "But what is this nonsense that we should be better than what we are today?"

"So many lives are in our care," Makarov continued as he began to walk towards Jose, "Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord alike. And because of the foolishness of two old men, they have been brought into conflict with each other."

"Foolish?" Jose simply ignored the disparaging remark that Makarov had laid upon himself, the guild master of Phantom Lord growing irate. "Nothing I have done is foolish, Makarov! I am the guild master of the greatest guild in all of Fiore! No, in all of Ishgar! And yet it is your guild, your accursed Fairy Tail that holds sway over the common people!"

"That is what has led to this battle?" Makarov knew it in his heart since the very start, having known Jose for so very long, but it was still disappointing to have it confirmed. "As I said, the both of us are simply foolish men bringing others down with us."

"Oh, there's more to it than that," Jose continued. "There is something much more valuable that your guild possesses that I want, Makarov. After all, whether the client knows it or not, he paid Phantom Lord to wage war with Fairy Tail."

Makarov was caught off guard by that statement, the elder member of Fairy Tail's rage beginning to spike. "Pride I could have understood, but you have put the lives of both our children at risk for money?"

"Children?" Jose shook his head. "You think you're the father of those wizards who work for Fairy Tail? It seems to me that you are the only fool here, Makarov."

"Say what you will," Makarov continued to yell as he continued to approach Jose. "Talking clearly will never resolve this, so I will defeat you and end this conflict for the sake of both our guilds!"

Yet then, much to Makarov's dismay, Jose's body began to flicker out of existence, his appearance blurring before becoming transparent.

"I told you, Makarov," Jose said with a smile as he noted the man's surprised expression, "you are the only fool in this situation. This is simply a magic projection, nothing more. You've let your anger blind you to all reason and this is where it gets you."

Makarov cursed himself then, the Wizard Saint realizing that if he had been of a calm mind he would have recognized that he could not even sense Jose's magical presence in the room. However, it was then that he felt another power behind him.

"You are such an angry old man," a voice cried out from behind Makarov. "It's so sad!"

A magic circle suddenly appeared behind Makarov, summoned by the newcomer, and the Wizard Saint began to cry out, his entire body becoming engulfed in sheer agony. To Makarov it felt like his entire existence was being torn asunder, his magic being turned against him.

Jose's magic projection was on the verge of fading away, but the guild master held it a little longer, reveling in the sights and sounds that signified his rival guild master's fall from grace.

"Goodbye, Makarov."


Erza Scarlet had known from the start that this battle within Phantom Lord's guild hall would not be easy by an measure. She had been prepared to face down any of the Element Four or the Iron Dragon Slayer himself, fully aware that Jose Porla would have to be left to Makarov Dreyer to contend with.

Yet now the armored mage was finding herself stymied by an unknown force. The robed man that had engaged her in battle was seemingly able to counter and parry her attacks, Erza's sword ricocheting off his bare hands every time she attack.

No, that was not it. Erza could see it well enough, her keen eyes aware of what was going on. There was a force around this individuals hands, one that remained unseen yet still managed to force her blades to slide away, as if they were being pushed before the weapons could make contact.

However, there was something else that Erza had taken note of. "You're quite good, stranger," Erza said as she pulled herself back for a moment. "But you do not seem to be putting your all into this battle."

"I'm merely taking your measure, that's all," the stranger said as he stepped back as well and stood to his full height. "Though I can only assume you already realized that. You too are holding back your full strength, yes?"

Erza could see that the situation at hand was a stalemate at the moment. She had no idea of the true power of the man she fought, but neither did he know the depths of her own as well. This was an unpredictable battle then, something that Titania of the Fairies was not accustomed to. However, her concerns lay elsewhere.

She hazarded a glance, a fleeting glimpse over her right shoulder. Natsu and Gray were both contending with the other robed individuals that had targeted them. Both of the Fairy Tail wizards were on the defensive, Natsu in particular unleashing an attack that was his and his alone to command.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

Natsu lashed out with a hand encased in flame, yet his attack was parried, as if it was meant never to land. The robed individual had pulled from a scabbard a sword and held it in two hands. With some degree of difficulty the individual managed to parry Natsu's strike, leaving the Dragon Slayer in confusion.

"What the heck is this?" Natsu asked as he watched the flame of his begin to freeze over, a solid chunk of ice forming around his hand. "Hey, Gray? You can totally have this guy!"

"Are you kidding?" Gray was himself occupied, the ice wizard trying his best to keep his opponent preoccupied. The robed man was himself wielding a dagger in a reverse grip, but he was only taking careful shots at Gray. The A-Class wizard of Fairy Tail was beginning to wonder what was going on. It was as if the man was trying to slip past him and target someone else. Whoever it was, Gray would not allow it. "Ice-Make: Shield!"

A barrier of ice formed quite suddenly behind and beside Gray, cutting off the robed man's attempt to slip past him.

"Nice try," Gray said as he brought his hands together for another ice spell, "but you started this fight and I intend to finish it."

"Very well," the cloaked man said as he brandished his dagger. "But I assure you this is a fatal mistake."

"Come on, man!" Natsu shouted from afar as he smashed his frozen hand on the ground, trying to shatter the ice and free himself. "This totally ain't fair! First you try and take my fight with the fire guy, but now you won't fight this ice guy! Stick with your own element!"

Erza turned her away from the spectacle and back to her opponent. "You're friends," the wizard began to say, "both seem intent on keeping Natsu and Gray busy, but the latter one also seems intent and going after someone else. Would you be willing to tell me who?"

"A bold question from a bold woman," the cloaked man said as he looked at Erza from beneath his hood. "But I'm sorry, that is information you needn't be made privy to."

"Well then," Erza said as she began to summon her ability to requip, "I suppose I'll have to force an answer out of you."

"Do try," the man said. "Show me everything you have to offer, Titania Erza!"

The two individuals were prepared to continue their battle in earnest, only to be stopped by the sound of guild hall's door swinging wide open and hitting the surrounding wall.

Erza and her opponent, as well as the others engaged in battles, turned to look and found themselves staring at Bambietta Basterbine. The Quincy was worse for wear, though it was to no great extent. Bambietta began to lower her right leg then, having finished with kicking the doorway open. Erza was quick to stop looking at the Quincy, instead staring at the individual with her.

It was the Iron Dragon Slayer. His body was lying on the ground, Bambietta's right hand gripping tightly within his long, dark hair. The man was bloodied and battered, cut and bruised, but Erza could see that he was still breathing. That was a welcome relief.

Bambietta, meanwhile, was still reeling emotionally. Her soul was in turmoil, but the Quincy knew she could not display such weakness. Liltotto had said it herself, that she put on a loud and bombastic face when she was stressed out.

That was precisely why Bambietta looked out at the battle between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord with a dishonest smile. "Look what the fairy dragged in!"

Bambietta threw her hand forward, casting aside Gajeel and leaving his body to remain on the ground before her.

"Boss!" Boze suddenly shouted out.

Sue was no different, the young woman crying out in response as well. "No..."

"So how about it, Phantom Lord?" Bambietta asked as she took a step further into the guild hall. "I totally wrecked your best, your little S-Class Dragon Slayer. Tell me you want to surrender. That'd be music to my pretty little ears."

"Gajeel Redfox? Our best?" A voice began to ring out across the guild hall then, a smug tone evident in it. "Your confidence is misplaced, young one. How sad. How very sad."

Bambietta and the rest of Fairy Tail cast their gazes upwards, catching sight of a tall man clad in a green coat, a blindfold adorning his face.

Erza was quick to recognize the newcomer, knowing well of his reputation. "Aria of the Heavens?"

"You recognize me, Titania Erza?" the tall man said. "I suppose the glory of the Element Four would reach even your guild."

Erza was not one to deny a fellow wizard of his accomplishments, but for now she simply did not care. The S-Class wizard was more concerned in regards to what she could see Aria holding.

No, not what. Who.

"It can't be," Erza whispered, the wizard overcome with horror. "Master Makarov?"

"That's right," Aria said as he let go of his prize, allowing the beaten guild master to fall towards the floor of the guild hall. "A member of the Wizard Saints has fallen because he allowed anger to blind him to the world around him. How very sad!"

"Gramps?" Natsu watched in horror as the diminutive guild master fell through the air, his body unmoving. He began to break away from his mysterious opponent, intent on catching Makarov.

He was, however, too slow. All of Fairy Tail had felt the lot of them having run towards Makarov. All save Bambietta and Liltotto, the two Quincy unsure of what place they had in the moment.

In the end it was Erza who caught Makarov, the armored mage having been the fastest to respond. She turned Makarov over, the S-Class wizard horrified to see what had become of him. Makarov's eyes were glazed over, a vacant expression upon his face. Worse still, his skin had taken on a pale, green shade. "Master!"

"His magic," Bambietta said, her voice betraying her surprise. "It's..."

"It's gone," Liltotto whispered as she moved close. "But how?"

"How astute of you both," Aria shouted from above. "Yes, his magic is depleted and no more! How sad it is that a Wizard Saint would succumb to my Metsu spell. It makes me so sad to see such greatness fall!"

Bambietta watched as the grown man began to cry, twin streams of tears bursting forth from beneath his blindfold. "Well, he's... something else."

"You fiend!" Erza shouted from below as she looked up at Aria with disdain in her eyes. "How dare you lay a hand on our master!"

Bambietta felt a chill run down her spine, the Quincy having not seen the armored wizard so angered before. She was unsure of what would come next, of what retribution the mage would issue forth, but she also was incapable of fathoming what kind of powers Aria possessed if he had been able to defeat Fairy Tail's own guild master.

However, Bambietta had been a part of Fairy Tail long enough what would happen next. She could already see the expressions evident on Natsu's face, the Dragon Slayer no doubt intent on continuing the fight, to avenge Makarov's defeat.

That was when Erza Scarlet took Bambietta by surprise. The S-Class wizard was quick to take charge, turning to face her compatriots as she held the weakened Makarov close to her. "Fairy Tail, we must retreat at once!"

"What?" Natsu was aghast. "No way! We're going to-"

"We cannot hope to defeat Jose without the master!" Erza issued sternly. "We will retreat at once!"

"Do you think we will simply let you leave?" the cloaked man said as he took one step towards Erza. "We're not done yet, Titania Erza. I wish for you to show me everything you are capable of. I will respond in kind."

"That's enough," Aria said as he floated down beside the individual, wind magic having given lift to his movements. "Master Jose would not want us to continue to make a scene here of all places. Further destruction would be so very sad."

"Don't patronize me," the robed individual said, a slight tone of annoyance evident in his voice. "The Element Four and the Iron Dragon Slayer were once the greatest this guild had to offer, but I am now the strongest in Phantom Lord save for Master Jose himself."

"That could change," Aria said low in tone, the wizard not content to have heard such a boast.

"You think so?" the cloaked man asked. "Your Metsu spell will not work on me, I assure you. Any power I lose will simply be replenished from the surrounding environments."

Bambietta raised an eyebrow to that. "Wait... Is he a..."

"Bambi," Lil said as she drew closer. "That's just it. While I was fighting Totomaru, I sensed... something off about the three in the cloaks."

Bambietta prepared to reach out with her spiritual senses, the Quincy trying to hone in on the man that stood before Erza. However, before she could, she was interrupted by a sight that left her mind torn.

Boze and Sue were standing over the beaten Gajeel, concern evident in their eyes. Sue was kneeling down beside him, trying to help him up. "Boss, don't die on us. We'd... we'd be lost without you."

Bambietta sneered slightly, a moment of jealousy taking hold of the Quincy. Her emotions flared up so much so that Liltotto took notice of them. The blonde Quincy looked at her friend, noting the dark expression on her face. "Bambi?"

Bambietta took several steps forward, pushing aside Sue before doing the same to Boze. Both fell to the ground and Bambietta grabbed Gajeel by the hair. "I'll be taking this jackass friend of yours, thank you very much. Don't worry, I know people. He'll be just fine."

Using Hirenkyaku, Bambietta moved back towards Liltotto and the entranceway of the Phantom Lord guild hall. Gajeel forced to travel along, Bambietta held to him tightly as the others of Fairy Tail continued to retreat out the doorway. The Quincy looked back to see that only Erza remained, the S-Class wizard still holding the beaten Makarov with both arms as she stared down Aria and the man in the cloak.

"We cannot simply let them leave," the robed man continued to say to Aria. "They still have-"

"Master Jose's orders," Aria interrupted. "Things have not gone exactly as he had planned, so he wishes for us to... go about things differently."

The cloaked man relented, knowing full well that he would relent in light of his new master's wishes. "Fine." He looked to Erza then, raising a hand and pointing a finger at her. "You may go now. But we will conclude this match soon."

Erza was weary, the S-Class wizard willing to take this opportunity presented to her. If Phantom Lord was willing to let them retreat without a fight, she would be a fool to refuse it. However, it was demeaning to her despite having given the order herself. Nonetheless, she would not sacrifice anyone for foolish pride. She knew that Makarov would not wish that.

"Yes," Erza said as she looked at the cloaked man, "I suppose we will. Though I would appreciate knowing the identity of the man who is so... merciful."

"You assume knowing my name and face will give you an edge when next we battle?" the man asked, a slight condescending tone in his voice. "How transparent. But as you wish..."

The man raised both hands high, taking hold of his hood. He began to draw it back then. Erza watched, as did Bambietta and Liltotto. At first what came into view was a chin adorned with a scar across its edge. Then there were the red eyes, darkened eyebrows resting above them. At last, all that was left was silver hair, cropped and jagged in its form.

"That's..." Bambietta could see it then, the Quincy recalling well one of the battles she had witnessed within the Soul Society while the Vandenreich had been preparing for eventual war. It had been a failed invasion, but one that had proved troublesome for the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. "The leader of the Bounts, Jin Kariya!"


I bet NONE of you were expecting him to be one of the cloaked figures now did you?! You all had some decent guesses...But when were you all under the impression that I WASNT going to use filler characters? I NEVER said i was limiting myself to cannon.

Kariya is a very powerful enemy, one who required Ichigo in his Bankai to defeat, and even then, he still BARLY managed to win. He will NOT be easy to defeat. He's actually one of my more favorite characters of the series. I do hope you all enjoy what we do with him.

But what of these other two cloaked figures? Well, I've already given you a hint for one of them. I wont say who it is, what race the person is, or if he is cannon or not. All I'm curious to know is if you can actually guess who this is.

Things are going to be very different for this arc from this point onward's. Its been very focused on Bambietta for the last few chapters, but dont worry, the likes of Natsu, Erza, Grey, Lucy and Liltotto will get their chances to shine, as well as other members of the guild. We havnt forgotten about them don't worry.

Anyways before i end this chapter, here are the MPFs

Natsu: 1460

Grey: 1450

Gajeel: 1600

Bambietta (beginning of fight):1800

Gajeel (dragon scales): 2400

Bambietta (Full power): 3300

Kariya (Holding back): 2700

Erza (Heart Cruz Armor): 2300

Please leave us a review to let us know what you felt about this chapter, im super curious to hear what you guys have to say this time around. Thanks for reading.