Dear readers, I welcome you back to yet another chapter of A Quincy's Fairy Tail this holiday season! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Quanza, or any other the other holidays' that take place this time of year that I may have not known about!

Today's chapter will be focusing on the arc's main focus, Erza Scarlet, the Titania of Fairy Tail! Who will be her opponent today, and what inner turmoil will she have to face now that she's come to this wretched tower?

THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO FIND OUT! Fighters are all set, ready, GO!

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shönen Jump. Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and Weekly Shönen Magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.


Erza Scarlet was conflicted. All around her was a past she had tried to shut out, to ignore. The pain was too great, the sins of abandoning her friends when given no other choice having weighed so heavily upon her heart that she had locked it away within an impenetrable armor. Now that past had caught up with her, leaving Erza no choice but to face it. She had felt herself one of the few she could blame, the other Jellal Fernandes himself. She had to face him alone. she had decided that much the moment she had arrived.

However…

Her friends within Fairy Tail would not allow that. Nor would those she had felt she had once abandoned. All of them were intent on fighting by her side this day. Such a desire of camaraderie was enough to chip away at her armor more than even Phantom Lord's own Jupiter Cannon had, leaving Erza truly vulnerable for the first time in years. And that… that, Erza could not allow.

She could not bear to see this Tower of so-called Heaven hurt those she considered her friends and family. Not Simon, Millianna, Sho, or Wally. Nor those of Fairy Tail. Yes, Erza could see their comforting faces and hear their encouraging words, and while they had given her the courage to accept their help earlier on, all of it was obscured by one simple image from a time long since past:

Grandpa Rob's back as he protected her… and died so that she could live.

Never again would it happen! Erza Scarlet had told herself long ago she would become the wizard that Rob felt her capable of. And she had. She had become not just an S-class wizard of one of the most illustrious guilds in all of Fiore, she had succeeded her old mentor and become Titania herself. Never again would she look upon one's back. No, others would look upon hers. After all, their lives were more precious to Erza than her own.

Her friends would fight the remnants of Jellal's forces. There was nothing she could do about that as it stood, and it suited her just fine. She was quite confident that they could handle themselves well in that regard, but Jellal himself… If he was truly commanding all of these strong warriors, then the power he would have amassed since she had last seen him had to have been comparable to the wizard saints. The last time they had fought someone of that level, Jose Porla had nearly single-handedly killed them all, and this time there would be no Makarov to save them. For that reason, she could not, and would not, involve them in the battle that was to come with her old friend.

She was the one who would face Jellal himself, no one else. Thankfully, unlike the battle with Jose, she would be fully rested and not exhausted from a prior battle. This time, she would be at her full strength. She would defeat him and end his mad ambitions. But the odds were she would likely die in the process, her sins laid to rest at last. She alone would die, for if any of the others died in her place, she would never be able to live with herself. She shuddered as she thought about it, her friends dying one after the other as they faced Jellal in her stead, or while fighting alongside her. No, no one else would be allowed to face Jellal but herself. This suited her just fine, however. After all, it was Hell to get to Heaven.

To that end, Erza was running through the halls of the tower, working her way up to the top where Jellal no doubt awaited her. And though she was focused on him with razor-sharp clarity, she was not so consumed by it that she missed an arrow of light heading right towards her. Erza summoned a broadsword then, deflecting the arrow without even breaking her stride. She could see him, a man in white wearing red-tinted glasses, lying in wait for her.

He slowly clapped his hands as he strolled towards her, giving her a small smile as he did. "Well deflected, Titania. I suppose there is some truth to the tales of your power after all. Most swordsmen die in their attempt to deflect my Heilig Pfeil." He then removed his hat and gave the S-class mage a mocking bow. "My name is Quilge Opie, and Lord Jellal has requested that I personally bring you to him."

"You..." Erza furrowed her brow, taking in the man's choice in uniform as well as the attack she had just deflected. "You're like Bambietta Basterbine and the others... a Quincy." He was also the man responsible for trapping her at the casino, but she didn't feel the need to inflate his undoubtedly high ego.

"Oh, believe me, my dear, there are none others quite like I." The Quincy responded.

Erza glared at him. "There are always people like you, Quilge Opie. You're just another who wishes to impose their will or the wills they serve upon others."

The Quincy slowly shook his head as he glared at Erza through his glasses. "You see, that there is where you're mistaken, Titania. I don't wish to merely impose my will onto the world, oh no. I'm not some wannabe dictator. I simply desire to change this world for the better, just as I tried twice in my previous one. Both the world of the living and the dead."

Erza took a deep breath, the very tower around her leaving her agitated in ways she was not used to. "I do not have time for this. Move. Now."

The Quincy simply wagged his index finger in front of her before he responded. "Now, now, do you really think you can just brush me aside? Simply deflecting my arrows alone surely shouldn't give you that level of confidence. No, I am afraid I must take you in. Master Jellal simply would prefer it if you were to be brought to him in… prime condition. Do not mistake this courtesy as a sign of my weakness, Titania."

"Courtesy?" Erza grit her teeth. "Everything that has transpired within this tower's walls... all of this... and you dare call it a courtesy!?" Erza had had enough. She held her broadsword up, requipping another in her left hand. "So be it, Quincy. You leave me no choice. If you wish to fall today, then approach me. If not, I will come to you."

"So, you will not listen to reason?" Quilge said as reformed his saber, slowly drawing it from its sheath. "I suppose it cannot be helped. However, at least this will prove to be a unique opportunity for me to see just how skilled you really are." He took a stance with his sword, placing the blade in front of his face before speaking. "I've yet to truly find myself a worthy foe in this world with the exception of Lord Jellal. I hope you'll at least be capable of entertaining me!"

Just then, two energy extensions emerged from his sword, each firing two arrows.

Erza gave into her instinctive battle tendencies, letting fall aside the one Fairy Tail simply called Erza Scarlet, and instead letting herself slip into the role of Titania. Her silver broadswords danced across her fingers then, one twirling about before her, moving fast enough despite its incredible weight and leaving the arrows to dissipate harmlessly. Then, Erza thrust her left arm forward, releasing the blade and sending it flying towards Quilge.

The Quincy moved his head to the side, dodging the thrown blade with ease. "Fool, you discarded your- What!?" His eyes widened in response as he saw the blade vanish in a burst of magical light. Turning forward, he saw Erza running towards him quickly, the thrown weapon requipping back in her hand. She closed the distance within seconds. Even with that short window to react within, Quilge raised his blade to defend and skidded backwards from the deflected blow. "I see, that was simply a diversion to catch me off guard, how quaint. However, now I know what your power is!"

He used Hirenkyaku to appear behind her as he lashed out with his saber, quickly striking at Erza before she blocked his strike, the woman skidding back from the blow just as he had. "Impressive reflexes. It's almost as if you've seen that technique before. Then again, I do recall Miss Basterbine claiming she had received training from you back at Akane Resort."

"You Quincy do love that little trick," Erza said, nodding.

"It's a little more than a... trick." Quilge almost sounded offended, though he shook it off. "Regardless... yours is a magic known as The Knight, correct?"

Erza kept her guard up, gritting her teeth. She had to get to Jellal, and this Quincy was not letting her do so. "I don't have any time for your idle small talk."

Erza slipped into Quilge's field of defense, swinging her left sword up and about. He parried the attack, his own feet slipping away with particles of magic via Hirenkyaku. He came up behind Erza again... and immediately bolted backwards when he saw a flash of light.

Erza's other blade had requipped in the instant he had used Hirenkyaku. However, it had not returned to her armor to be replaced. No, she had simply let it requip from a traditional grip into a reverse grip... and Quilge had almost stepped right into it.

"It's true what they say..." Quilge managed to speak out, his saber flicking out and lightly striking the blade as he circled around Erza towards her front again. "You truly have mastered the ability of requip like none before you. You are not simply using The Knight. You are The Knight. However..."

Quilge shook his head.

"You are but a Knight of the Earth, while I... I am a Knight of the Stars, chosen by powers greater than you could possibly imagine."

Erza said nothing, lashing out at Quilge once more. "I. Don't. Care."

Her broadsword clashed against his blade once more before she quickly outmaneuvered his saber and swung her blade hard across his chest… only for it to have done no damage at all!

"What!?" Erza exclaimed in surprise. She struck out again with her blade, her blade clashing with Quilge's three more times before she struck him once again, only to achieve a similar result. 'What's going on? Wait, don't tell me-'

"I'll admit that your skill with the sword exceeds my own," Quilge said as he thrust his blade forward, Erza just barely dodging to the side and swinging her blade to his waist with no effect at all. "But that won't help you I'm afraid. I'm sure you're quite familiar with the Quincy techniques of Blut Vene and Blut Arterie thanks to your camaraderie with Miss Basterbine, Miss Lamperd, and Miss Catnipp. They're certainly quite adept with the techniques. However, with the sole exception of his majesty, I was the most proficient user of the Blut technique!"

Quickly switching from Blut Vene to Blut Arterie, Quilge swung his sword, the saber slicing through Erza's blade and cleaving through her breastplate. The silver armor clanged as it hit the ground. Erza herself was unharmed but for a small cut that appeared just below her breasts.

"My Schrift has little combat capabilities," Quilge told Erza. "So, instead of relying overly on my Schrift as most Sternritters have, I simply decided to master the Quincy arts to the best of my ability. Hirenkyaku, Heilig Pfeil, Blut, Reishi absorption, I've mastered them all!"

"All that to obtain this blood?" Erza raised one hand up to the cut, feeling some of her warm blood flow out around her fingers. "Requip! Heart Kreuz!"

From her armory did another breastplate appear over Erza, the wizard holding her ground as she brought more weapons to bear.

"And all that... for simply more of the same?" Quilge said, raising an eyebrow. "I have heard much of you, Titania. Legend of your skills. Perhaps they were unfounded. Is this all that you are?"

Erza kept her calm as much as she could. She could not afford to expend more than she had to in defeating this Quincy. Jellal was waiting for her, and she knew she would need everything at her disposal to face him in terms of emotional stability as well as in regards to her magical armament if he was the least bit as strong as his brother, Siegrain. "It's all that you are worth."

"Oh?" Quilge tilted his head to the side slightly. "You wound me, fair lady. I who stormed the broken battlements of the worlds of the living and the dead... I who was tasked with keeping order in a world full of nothing but barbarism and sand... and you reject me your true strength? Then I suppose I will have to push myself harder so that you will do the same."

Erza stayed quiet, raising a sword once more.

"Yes..." Quilge whispered. "It would not be difficult, lieber feind."

He quickly appeared before her again with Hirenkyaku, Blut Arterie fueling each of his strikes. Within the first blow, Erza's sword cracked, with the next, it was split in two before she replaced it with yet another blade. Two, three more swords were destroyed before Quilge thrust his blade forward, piercing into Erza's breastplate and, if not for her moving back just as he struck, avoided what could have been a near-fatal injury.

"I know what you're trying to do!" Quilge said before he destroyed yet another sword with a swing of his own. "Yes, you're trying to conserve your power for when you plan on taking down Lord Jellal! Normally, it would be a commendable strategy, but there exists one fatal flaw!" Using Hirenkyaku, he appeared behind her, only to disappear from her sight and shoot an arrow at her from above. Erza deflected the arrow, her sword singed in the process, before he appeared right next to her and sliced diagonally at her chest, her armor completely shattering this time from the strike as she was sent back.

"I am no mere opponent. I have done battle in countless wars Titania. You may have been in many battles, but you have yet to experience the Hell that is warfare!"

"Curse... you..." Erza was breathing heavily then. The Quincy was right. Though his swordsmanship was perhaps not on her level, his overall strength was potentially greater. She wanted to hold back all that she had for Jellal, but she knew that would not avail her if she could not even get to him. "I have been such a fool. To you, Quilge Opie, I offer my apologies. And I will do so... with this..."

Magic circles formed around Erza, her whole body enshrined in golden light. When it faded, she stood her ground in the silver armor and white gown of her Heaven's Wheel Armor, metallic wings spreading out behind her as she held twin swords.

"I will face you, angel to angel," Erza said.

"Naive you are still," Quilge said. "I used to think as you did, that I was an angel, but no more. Angels don't exist, not on the battlefield. But demons... Yes, we are all demons when we fight for the world we envision."

"That's where you are wrong," Erza said. "One who fights only to see those they cherish be happy could never be considered a demon."

"Is that a fact?" Quilge glared at Erza then from beneath his dark glasses. "Then let us see who will emerge victorious, angel or demon." He pointed his saber at Erza as the two light extensions emerged from his sword once more, firing two arrows at the S-class mage. To his surprise, however, she merely stood there as the arrows came flying at her. The Quincy was confused, to say the least. Why isn't she trying to dodge? Surely she doesn't think that armor comes with more protection than the one she used earlier, her body is practically exposed-

Erza simply willed her Requip magic to flow through the armor of Heaven's Wheel, leaving twin swords to appear above her and be held in place by her magic. They fired forth, slamming into the ethereal arrows and leaving them to shatter into sparkling specks of light.

However, that was not the end of it. No, more and more swords appeared behind Erza. Then and only then did she dash forward, her armored feet lifting off the ground. She dashed at Quilge with her twin blades in hand, the others flying after her.

"Blumenblatt!"

In the blink of an eye did Erza move past the Quincy, her twin swords striking him and the rest soon following suit.

"Two against twenty," Erza said as she looked back. "I don't imagine even your Blut Vene could withstand that."

"Most… Impressive." Quilge said as he turned around to face Erza. He was bleeding in a few places, some blood dripping down his arms and an area in his chest had displayed a slash, but nothing more. "If I hadn't switched to Blut Vene at the last minute, you may have very well ended the battle with that attack."

He then used Hirenkyaku to try to stab Erza with his blade, the S-class mage was able to react as she moved her head to the right, and counterattacked with her twin swords. Each of their strikes was stopped by the other as they clashed until Quilge quickly switched to Blut Arterie and destroyed the two blades in Erza's hands before delivering a powerful kick that sent her to the ground. "Unfortunately for you, my Blut Arterie can still cleave through your swords like butter!"

He fired a barrage of arrows at Erza then as they came hurtling at her.

"That will not be enough," Erza said, anger at Jellal and the Tower of Heaven itself coursing through her veins. "I will match you blow for blow! No, I will exceed it!"

Erza's magic went above and beyond, requipping sword after sword around her, each and every one of them held within the telekinetic totality of her magic. She raised her right arm then, commanding them all to fire off.

Swords and arrows began to collide in the space between Erza and Quilge, the Quincy's blue light arrows bursting apart. Though some swords were sent careening to the side from the explosive contact, others still managed to continue to fly towards Quilge.

'There are too many!' The Quincy felt her blades come crashing towards him as they managed to completely overwhelm his arrows. Over one hundred swords were far too much for even his Blut Vene to handle, the Quincy knew that much. 'I suppose it's about time I decided to use that trick after all.'

Just as the blades were about to hit him, however, their momentum was stopped completely, each one trapped inside of miniature cages. "Congratulations, you've forced me into using a new technique I was working on, Titania." Quilge praised Erza as he wiped his brow of sweat. "What you see before you is the 2nd technique I've created with my Schrift, "The Jail." I call it MiniaturKafig! I may not be able to trap my foes in cages so small, but it has… other purposes." The caged swords, once controlled by Erza, were then sent flying towards her.

"What on-!?" Erza tried to send her weapons back to her armory, but it was to no avail. She could only assume that they were cut off from her own power within the spatial prisons that Quilge had made, but the surprise was enough that Erza was caught off guard by the returned attack, jailed blades striking back at her. The wizard dropped to one knee then, gasping.

"I suppose it's over now," Quilge said, taking several steps towards Erza. "And soon shall your sacrifice make this new world I call home a better place. Carry that consolation into the afterlife, Titan-"

"Requip."

Before Quilge's eyes did Erza become illuminated in a golden light... and then she was directly before him in a new outfit, one that begets armor for cloth, and her fist was directly in his face.

"-iaaaa!" Quilge fell back, blood pouring out from his broken nose. 'So fast, I couldn't even get Blut Vene up before the attack!'

Erza pressed that advantage, moving in with her Flight Armor, once more requipping two swords, this time in reverse grips. "It's over, Quilge. I've discovered the weakness in your Blut technique."

"Oh, have you now?" Quilge asked as he glared back at Erza. "I wouldn't let that last blow get to your head, Titania. You simply caught me off guard with your last attack was all, nothing more. My skill amongst my peers was unmatched!"

"Is that a fact?" Erza moved behind Quilge, a sword moving down so as to rest upon a shoulder. "I would like to test that theory."

Quilge's gaze looked to the side and downward, the Quincy seeing the blade. Blut Vene was in effect, leaving his body more durable at the moment, so he was unsure if he had reason to even fear the blade. However...

"Then allow me to show you proof of it." Quilge willed himself into another motion of Hirenkyaku, his momentum letting him spin on his booted soles as he came around Erza, sword at the ready. He switched from Vene to Arterie in that moment, allowing his offense to carry his attack.

An attack that missed. Erza slid to the side in a ducking motion, leaving Quilge's sword to hit nothing but air. As he glanced down in mid-step, still in the throes of Hirenkyaku, he could see Erza's right eye gazing up at him.

It was enough to make the Quincy's empowered blood run cold. The very blood coursed through his body and strengthened him. 'Blut Vene, now!'

He began to make the switch to heighten his defenses, but it was too late. A sword struck him on the side and drew blood.

Quilge cried out, his thought process disrupted enough by the pain that his Blut Vene never came into effect. All he could do was see the blur that was Erza Scarlet, the warrior Titania, as she leaped up and over, one of her feet spinning round and coming down on his head.

Quilge was forced to the floor then, the attack leaving his face to smash against it.

"Wh-what...?" Quilge groaned, looking up with blood dripping down his face, his glasses shattered.

"I see it, Quilge Opie," Erza spoke up as she stood over him. "The weakness in the skills you have pushed so hard to excel in. You are no jack of all trades, but a master of them all, and yet a weakness still remains."

"There is... no weakness..." Quilge hissed. "None but someone like... you... could take advantage... of..."

"Time is not on your side," Erza said simply enough. "To switch between Blut Vene and Blut Arterie requires a moment where neither is in effect. To achieve total offense or total defense, you have to discard both for a brief moment. I simply had to strike. And now that I know the secret of your skills... I will best them time and time again. It's over, Quilge Opie. I request you stay down."

Quilge slowly got up to his feet and stared at Erza, before he gave her a small smile and began to clap his hands once more. "I see! Most impressive indeed, Titania! Yes, I can see now why Miss Basterbine and the others hold you in such high regard, and to think, you've yet to even show me what you're truly capable of!"

"And I will not," Erza said. "If you do not force it. I request again that you concede this battle."

"I am afraid I cannot simply allow you to stride on in to battle my master," Quilge told her. "However, I have a proposition for you."

Erza held her ground, knowing that nothing good could come from this proposition. "And what would that be?"

"You're strong, more so than any other mage I have ever fought in this world with the exception of my master," Quilge spoke. "Such skill deserves to be preserved. I am offering you a chance to join us in our glorious cause to save this world! I'm sure that I can convince Jellal to spare you if you do."

Erza had not expected that. "You truly believe in Jellal, don't you?" She had expected the Quincy to be someone simply using Jellal's power as a means to an end, to further himself above all else. To think Jellal had yet another following him for his cause was...concerning.

"I do." The Quincy spoke. "As I'm sure you've been made aware by Miss Basterbine and the others, we are not from this world. No, the world we came from was one that was filled with constant strife and war. My family and I were barely able to scrounge up a living due to the consequences of the previous war."


(Germany, 1923, the city of Dresden)

"Come here, Quilge, we need to get going to the rations before anyone else does!"

The young man and his father slowly made their way to the local soup kitchen where many of their fellow citizens were heading. It had always been this way, since the day he was born, in fact, and many a time Quilge had wondered why things were the way they were. His mother never liked talking about it, always finding some other topic so as to move the discussion elsewhere, but now that he was alone with his father...

"Dad… why are we always coming here for food?" Quilge asked his father. "Or everyone else for that matter? Doesn't your job give you enough money for food? I hear that Britain, France, and many other countries don't have this problem so… why?"

His father sighed as he looked down at his son. "Because Quilge, a few years before you were born, there was a great war our country took part in. Many nations became involved as the conflict spread, and when it was all over… we suffered the most. To… put it in a way you can understand now, son, our money isn't as valuable as everyone else's because of the war."

Quilge looked at his father before he asked his next question. "Dad… why did we lose?"

His father clenched his fists as he looked at the humans heading in their direction. "Because most of the people in this country are weak, son. They refused to stand their ground and fight to the bitter end as true warriors should. No, they'd rather live shallow lives than lose them altogether. If more Quincies, if more people like us joined the war, then we'd-"

"But Dad...isn't it better to talk things out instead of fighting?" His son asked. "That's what Mom always says. That when we finally stop fighting, we can make the world a much better place!"

His father stopped talking then before he knelt down in front of Quilge. "Your mother...is too naïve at times. Remember this well, my son. If you want a true Utopia, you'll never be able to achieve it without some sort of sacrifice. Be it blood, sweat, or tears, or even life… everything truly worth having comes with a cost. Do you really want that perfect world? Then you'll have to be ready to stain your own hands with blood."


"The words my father told me didn't make sense, not back then at least," Quilge told her before he shook his head. "In the years that followed, I began to lose my friends from starvation. Soon, I was the only one out of my friends that managed to survive. I often wondered what could be done to stop it. But that all stopped… When our leadership changed. Just prior to the 2nd world war, our military might grew. And as it grew, so too did our economy. It was then that I finally understood what my father was trying to tell me. That with strength came prosperity! To destroy the weak links in society, that was what was needed for Utopia! That might makes right! Our leader wished to spread this prosperity across the globe, and thus, war was declared. After seeing how much Germany had changed with its new might and my eyes now open to the truth, I wanted the rest of the world to become just like us, to grow strong just as we had. So, I offered up my services to the military, and quickly earned the rank of colonel!"

"Bambietta told me about that horrific war," Erza said with a glare. "Your side took many innocent lives! Millions! Not just those with certain religious beliefs, but even romantic beliefs, sympathizers, people who were physically and mentally disabled, and people who just didn't look right! Only an absolute madman could consider that just!"

Quilge shook his head. "A man is not required to share his master's vision to follow orders or do what needs to be done. To be truthful, I never once agreed with the Fuhrer's final solution. Were it me, I'd have united my country in a less blood-soaked manner, but I lacked the power to choose my own fate. It was either butcher the Juden, or find myself sharing their fate. In the interest of self-preservation, I chose the former. The actions taken during that time were madness, pure and simple. What the Fuhrer lacked in Logos and Ethos he made up for in spades with Pathos. That was why so many people believed in him. I believed not in the man ruling my country, but in my country itself. Such is patriotism and a soldier's job. In fact, I even partook in Operation Valkyrie in an attempt to remove him from power. But when the operation failed, having been lucky to escape the incident with my life when more than half of the participants were executed, I decided it would be best to simply delay my plans for his assassination until the end of the war so as to not bring any more chaos to our military. Nay, what I advocated for would have brought about true peace to the world!"

"And just what do you advocate, Quilge Opie?" Erza demanded, merely wanting to use this time to regain as much of her magic as she could.

He then shook his head. "You'll find out once I'm finished. Now, where was I? Oh yes, the 2nd world war. I fought valiantly to spread our reach, but, alas, I perished. The power of the Soviets was far too much for my brothers in arms. I thought that I could make a difference with my powers, and for a time, I did. Victory actually seemed possible… Until the Soul Reapers arrived. I perished without being able to achieve my dream and I lost my resolve… until I met with a god in the flesh.


February 2nd, 1943, Stalingrad.

Quilge looked all around him as he slowly walked the battlefield in his new incorporeal form after the Soul Reapers had slain him. The remnants of the German army had been devoured by Hollows, only the colonel managing to survive thanks to his Quincy powers. He sat down on the remains of a Tiger tank, his nearly emotionless eyes staring into the sky. All that was left now was to go to the Soul Society, but that was the last thing he wanted. He knew the kind of hellhole the Rukon districts could be. They were no better, if not worse, than Germany was before its rise to power.

Not to mention having to spend the rest of eternity being hunted down by the damn Soul Reapers. He laughed mirthlessly at the irony.

"Yet… who am I to judge?" Quilge spoke. "All of those years of service, and yet I just stood by… and watched. It was supposed to be a means to an end… to cull the weak. But… but now-" The war was lost, there was absolutely no hope of Germany winning this war now. The Allied Powers would no doubt be closing in on his former leader, and his country would once again be punished for it.

"Why did I do any of this?" Quilge thought. "All that suffering, all of that pain… If I cannot create that Utopia… then all the lives I took, the horrors of war I ignored, all of it-"

"Was all for nothing."

Quilge quickly turned around and saw a rather tall man with a muttonchop mustache and long black hair standing before him. Quilge felt absolutely tiny in comparison, not just in size, but in power, as what he could sense radiating off of the man was unlike anything he had ever sensed before. There was only one person who could possibly have this much power. "You're… His Majesty, Yhwach!" Quilge yelled in surprise.

"Do you see it, Quilge Opie?" Yhwach said as he gestured over the war-torn battlefield. "All of this pointless, needless death? All to satiate a madman's desire for power, to push his delusional mindset across the planet. You must be asking yourself one simple question: Why?"

Quilge slowly nodded his head before Yhwach spoke once more. "It is because mankind as a whole lacks a proper charismatic leader. A voice of wisdom to rally behind. Not one of bigotry and hatred like the man you once served." The Kaiser looked up to the sky then before he continued. "If the Soul Reapers had any inclination, they could lead the world of the living into the direction of paradise. After all, man has followed various deities who have told them what to consider as right and wrong. Gods of Death would have been no different. But do the Soul Reapers intervene, do they prevent all of this needless suffering? No. Instead, they are content to watch from above and merely do their jobs, while at the same time oppressing their own people. We Quincies are unable to intervene with the mass disasters of the world in fear of drawing Soul Reapers to our attention as you just learned. However-"

The Quincy king then brandished a sword in his right hand, before pointing it to the sky. "I will not stand by and allow this world to continue as it is any longer. To bring all 3 worlds together, to create a Utopia without life or death. A world where peace, order, and prosperity will not be the exception, but rather the norm. A world where we Quincy will no longer have to hide."

Quilge's eyes widened as he heard the speech. This world Yhwach was speaking of… it was exactly what he had always desired!

"Do you wish to have a purpose in your life once more?" Yhwach asked Quilge as he slowly walked over to him. "To create a world of peace, of order? A world where no child will ever have to starve again?"

"I… I do." Quilge spoke. The Quincy Kaiser...something about his presence, it demanded his respect. The cold stare and power radiating off of him were more than intimidating enough. But it was more than just that. His words struck a chord in Quilge's very being. He had failed once to change the world...He would not fail again. It never occurred to him the choice he was making and the reasons for making it. Once again, a mustached man promising a Utopia offered his hand and Quilge accepted it without giving it much thought.

"Then join me, Quilge Opie." The man said as he looked down on Quilge. "Join my army, and together, we will liberate the afterlife and create a just Utopia for all."

"Yes, I will serve you faithfully!" Quilge said as he got on one knee and bowed. "For the rest of my days, I shall fight to spread your ideals throughout the afterlife."

Yhwach smiled then. "You will never again fight a meaningless war or spill blood for the delusions of a madman. From this moment on, you fight… to create your ideal world."

As Quilge kneeled, he could feel tears stream down from his eyes. It wasn't all for nothing! Yes, he may have died, and yes, many people were killed in a pointless war, but now… now he would truly change the world!


"However, in the end, I still perished in combat, unable to help His Majesty create the ideal world we shared," Quilge spoke. "I had hoped that by only killing the Soul Reapers and Arrancars that unnecessary bloodshed could be avoided, that culling the weak was unnecessary, but it was not to be. In the end, as I found out from the one who brought me here, the Wandenriech fell. I had once again been part of a pointlessly bloody war."

"From what Liltotto told me, it deserved to fall," Erza spoke. "I know that your kind was wronged by the Soul Reapers, but the massacre of the Arrancar was completely unnecessary! You say you're nothing like the man you served in your first life, yet you still participated in such atrocities even afterward!"

Quilge scoffed at Erza. "Don't you lecture me on killing monsters. Arrancars are simply Hollows in human form. Nothing more."

"They used to be human!" Erza interrupted him, thoughts of the twin elemental Arrancar and Ulquiorra shooting through her mind. "Capable of feeling love, pain, and compassion just as much as you and I! They're not just mindless beasts!"

"Who are you to talk, Titania?" Quilge retorted. "I heard of how your guild wiped out an entire clan of vampires! How do your actions differ from mine? Are vampires not former humans as well?"

Erza snarled. "The vampires were the ones who initiated the attack. They tried to kill Lucy and Levy before they finally kidnapped one of our own. They started the conflict. My guild has nothing against vampires who seek to live out their days in peace and live off of the blood of animals. But any creature who dares try to harm anyone in our guild is another matter entirely! Your army, however, were the ones who initiated the slaughter for no other reason than for what they were! Our actions couldn't be any further apart!"

Quilge shook his head. "I see that you won't come to agree with me on that matter. Very well, it matters little. Regardless, I was fortunate enough to have been chosen by my god for a second chance. At first, I merely believed that joining the Rune Knights would be enough, to combat the dark guilds… but I quickly lost faith in them and the magic council. None of them were willing to do what it took to truly neutralize their foes for fear of escalation! I wandered around, aimlessly… Until I finally found Lord Jellal!"


Fiore, 7 months ago.

Quilge Opie slowly sheathed his saber before quickly glancing around him, several bloody bodies surrounding the Quincy inside a small building located just outside of a small town. Yet another dark guild vanquished that the magic council had refused to take down out of fear of the Balam Alliance striking back. "Don't those fools realize a war will never properly end if one does not bring the fight to their foes?" Quilge asked himself before he shook his head. What was he even doing anymore? Sure, killing the entire guild would bring peace to the nearby town for a bit, but to what end? No doubt in time another dark guild would take its place and terrorize the town once more. It didn't have any guilds of the sorts to defend itself. Nein, it relied solely on the magic council for defense. Just as so many others had.

"Such fools. If they're not willing to fight for themselves, then they'll forever be targeted by those with power." Quilge spoke as he looked at the town. "These weaklings… merely leech off of the strong." It was an endless cycle. Civilians call on the magic council/local guilds for defense, the dark guilds are defeated, the mages leave, another dark guild simply moves in. Rinse and repeat.

"Impressive swordsmanship," a voice called out. "You truly are a practitioner of violence in its purest form."

Quilge looked over his shoulder, catching sight of a man in a black cloak, a hood resting atop his head.

"Oh, and just who are you?" Quilge asked as he pointed his blade at him. The man before him was… not weak. No, he could already tell from what little he sensed that he was above most Quincies in power. "Are you perhaps the guild master of these weaklings?"

"Of these fools? No." The man took another step. "I simply asked one of my agents to find me a Quincy, and she learned of you. So, I have come, Quilge Opie, for you and you alone."

"For me?" The Quincy asked. "And to what end? Have you come to kill me? I can sense that you're quite powerful, but I've yet to show even half of what I'm truly capable of myself."

"Kill you?" The man laughed, withdrawing his hood. "No, I have higher aspirations than that. The world is changing. Changing in ways I had never imagined. And perhaps not in the manner I would have liked. But I am Jellal Fernandes, and I will fix this broken world with my own strength. But I want the strength of a Quincy by my side."

"I see." Quilge said, his blade still pointing at the man. "The words you speak certainly catch my interest. Yes, I've grown rather sick of how this world operates myself despite not being here for very long. But words can be said by anyone. What I seek out, what I respect alongside words, is strength!"

He rushed forward at the man wanting to see if this cloaked figure had the strength to back up his words.

He had. Quilge was barely able to get in the blows that he did before he was defeated in quick succession by this unknown man. Perhaps Vollstandig would have changed the tide, perhaps not. All he knew was that he was now lying on the ground, defeated.

"I trust my strength is sufficient," Jellal said, looking down upon Quilge.

"Yes… it certainly is," Quilge said as he tried to get to his feet. He fell onto his knees then, before slowly rising up. "What is it that you plan to do? To change the world, my master?"

"To bring back something that this world has lost. Someone. The only one who can truly bring about the change this world needs."

"And what change would that be?" Quilge asked him. This was it, the make it or break it point. Whether he would die fighting… or serve under a new lord and master.

"To break the cycle perpetuated by the weak who have banded together," Jellal said. "To bring about a world governed by the truly strong. To make this world a heaven for those who have the strength of will to stand up on their own two feet and seize it."

His eyes widened as he heard those words. This time… this time it was real! This time it was going to be different! He saluted the man before him and declared. "Then from this day onwards, I shall humbly serve you to the bitter end!"

The man smirked beneath his cloak and offered him his hand. "Glad to have someone who shares my vision on board."

"For the ideal world, I'll do whatever it takes," Quilge said before he shook his hand. "Anything to achieve our ideals."


"And so that's how I finally came under his wing, to bring about the true Utopia that I've always dreamed of," Quilge told Erza. "You can become a part of it as well, Titania. Join us, and I'll see to it you'll have a place by his side!"

"I refuse," Erza said. "This tower cannot live up to its name. It is no pathway to Heaven, and... the man whom Jellal has become could never bring about a Utopia. Not here or anywhere." Erza lowered her head, her right hand reaching up to touch her hair. "He's not the boy I used to know anymore. He hasn't been for a long time."

"How can you be so blind!?" Quilge yelled at her. "Can't you see that all he has done has been for a greater world!?"

"You say that, but all I hear you espousing is evil!" Erza retorted. "Killing people simply for their lack of strength, it doesn't get more heartless than that!"

"That may be true, but I'll follow whatever orders I have to if it will all be for the sake of a better world!" Quilge yelled.

"You're no better than your Fuhrer! How could killing the weak possibly bring about a better world!?" Erza demanded.

"Because when there are no weaklings, then there will be no one to push around!" Quilge yelled back. "When everyone is strong and when everyone is able to fight back for themselves, those who seek to abuse their power have no one they can abuse it on! People will not suffer from those who are stronger! The people of the world would be free to act, and fight, for themselves! When everyone possesses the same power, those with evil intent would not dare to risk their lives, for evil is nothing but cowardice!"

"You dare speak of fighting evil when you advocate for the slaughter of millions!?" Erza demanded.

"BECAUSE THEIR DEATHS WILL LEAD TO A WORLD WITHOUT WAR!" Quilge yelled back. "A world run not by the idiotic masses, but by those who have the strength of their conviction! A world of order! A world of peace, and prosperity!"

"Silence!" Erza raised both blades up, trembling with rage. "You and Jellal both think you can better the world by hurting others... by controlling people... and I will not hear another word of it! Do you hear me!? Not another word!" She ran towards Quilge then, her blades ready to run through Quilge so she could get to Jellal!

Erza was quickly gaining ground on the Quincy, but as she approached, the Quincy seemed eerily calm. As soon as she was only a mere 3 feet away, he smiled before he spoke one word. "Biskiel." Just then, Quilge was covered by a massive column of energy, the force of which sent Erza flying back before she landed on her feet. As the energy finally subsided, she could see him. Quilge now had two massive wings made out of energy coming out from his back, a halo, an energy holster across his chest, energy gauntlets, and clogs.

Even from this distance, she could feel the power emanating from his body. 'This power... it must be the same as the one Liltotto used to fight Jose!' While Liltotto hadn't been able to defeat Jose with her holy form, that didn't change the fact that it gave her dear friend an absurd boost in power. 'I was already struggling to not go all out against him as it was. If it's truly the same power as Liltotto's…' Erza's thoughts were interrupted when she heard Quilge speak once more.

"You truly are quite impressive, Titania. With the exception of Lord Jellal, no one in Fiore has ever even made me consider using my Vollstandig. It truly does show that all the praise I've heard about your power was true after all." He then gave her a mocking bow before he continued. "You've earned my respect, but I am afraid now that victory is completely beyond your reach."

Erza snarled as she clenched her blades in her hands. 'Does he really think he can write me off so easily!?' Rushing in without thinking, Erza used the immense speed of her Flight Armor to soar towards him, her blades ready to strike him down!

Only for Quilge to vanish from her sight and for Erza to feel a powerful grip on her left hand as it was yanked behind her head. She quickly turned around to see Quilge looking down at her as he restrained her. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that level of speed will no longer be sufficient to prove a problem for me." He swung his right hand down in an attempt to remove his opponent's left arm. Erza was just barely able to yank her left hand out of his grip before taking both of her blades and blocking the strike. However, much to her surprise, his energy blade cleaved through her weapons with little effort. The strike's power was so great that, even though Erza herself was not directly hit, the force of the blow sent her skidding back.

Quilge slowly tilted his head at Erza, not bothering to move otherwise. "As you can see, my words were no mere empty boast. My power is comparable now to those of the Wizard Saints. You would be wise to reconsider my offer before-"

"You're no saint." Erza switched her armor then, moving to that of her Flame Empress Armor. "And I'll burn down that preposterous notion right now!" With a swing of her swords, flames erupted outwards towards Quilge, setting the arena ablaze. Normally, Erza was more careful with the armor, not one to cause excessive damage like Natsu, but the Tower of Heaven and all it represented through Jellal and Quilge pushed her over the edge. And with the latter standing right before her, it was all Erza could do to try and reign it all in.

Quilge folded one of his wings in front of him, the dangerous flames harmlessly bouncing off of the energy construct as he grinned. "I see, you have control over the elements as well, do you? You certainly have a wide and varied arsenal." With a powerful flap of his wings, a force of gust dispersed the flames as he sneered at her. "It's just a pity that it won't be enough."

Taking off at insane speeds, Quilge was quick to clash his sword against Erza's, the redhead buckling from the power of the blow as she was brought down to one knee. "I see that you possess enough strength to at least fend off my basic attacks. However-" Switching to Blut Arterie, the energy sword sliced through the red blade and even through her armor, giving Erza a shallow cut down her chest.

"All I need do is simply apply more effort."

"Then I will do the same." Another armor then, broken swords shifting away and being replaced by a lance. Erza's hair began to stand up slightly, electricity crackling around it. Then did lightning burst out around her, a thundercrack reverberating all across the arena. Erza stood up then and struck forwards with the lance.

"Oh? Lightning this time, I see." Quilge said as he parried the lance. Erza was quick to strike at him with her weapon, again and again, but Quilge was simply too fast for her to hit, the trained soldier sidestepping each strike just as it was about to hit home. Another thrust of her lance, and Quilge parried the weapon to the left, swinging his sword downwards. Erza's eyes widened as she saw the lance coming down at her before she just barely backflipped out of the way of the attack. She thrust her lance forward then, discharging a powerful bolt of lightning at the Quincy.

"I'm afraid you'll find techniques like these just won't work." The attack dispersed into hundreds of tiny lights before they were quickly engulfed into Quilge's wings. He smirked with confidence before he spoke. "Sklaverei. When we Sternritter use our Vollstandig, we are able to master the control of Reishi that surrounds us. In the past, it used to be quite difficult to tear apart enough Reishi particles from magic to absorb it as I had. As it turns out, magic in this world is comprised of 60% ethernano and 40% Reishi. However, unlike most beings from my old world that simply absorb the Reishi in the air, I've learned how to convert the ethernano into Reishi."

Erza's eyes narrowed. If magic would not work, then there was one other option. She became engulfed in light once more, and when it faded, she stood before Quilge in gold and blue armor, now wielding a massive lance. "Giant Armor!" With a mighty shout, Erza gave the spear a mighty throw, the lance propelled like a rocket with overwhelming force! Quilge's eyes widened as the weapon approached and he raised both of his hands in an X shape, the rocket crashing into him with a large explosion soon following. Erza's hair blew in the wind caused by the explosion as she narrowed her eyes. Did that finally-

"Most impressive."

Erza's eyes widened as the smoke cleared, and to her utter shock, Quilge still stood, though the spear Erza had thrown had lodged itself deep into his left arm. "Even with Blut Vene, I couldn't stop it entirely. You likely would have ended the battle right here if I hadn't decided to take the precaution." He quickly grabbed the spear and pulled it out before he tossed it behind him. "However, if this is your best effort-"

"Requip, Blackwing Armor!" Erza lunged for Quilge again, this time attacking from above. She was going to put him down, and then Jellal, no matter what it took. Putting all her strength into the blow, both hands holding the blade, she came crashing down upon the Quincy.

However, the transformed Quincy took to the air with a powerful slap of his wings. He looked down at Erza then as he pointed. "What's wrong, Titania? I'm right up here." He fired a barrage of arrows, but, to his surprise, she was managing to fly through them all.

"What's wrong?!" Erza shouted as she drew closer, moving to a one-handed grip as she summoned another sword to wield alongside it. "You, this tower, Jellal... Everything is wrong! And I will set it all right!"

"You're just too blinded by rage to see the world we will make!" Quilge spoke as he sped towards her, the two clashing in the air as her blades parried his to the left. She thrust her left blade, but Quilge flew down and around her before she turned on a dime and deflected his next strike with her right sword.

"Or… perhaps you're blinded by something else?" Quilge said as he pressed his blade more against hers before he smirked. "Ah, of course, it makes sense given your past."

"Shut. Up." Erza all but snapped then, the swords in her hand being replaced by Requip magic, leaving her with larger, more powerful broadswords, their weight alone pressing down on Quilge as they clashed. The two warriors dashed around in the air, battling like a pair of angels. If one were to have looked from the ground, it almost would have seemed like a ballet in the air of sorts. Each clash of their blades could be heard throughout the room, but Erza's dual blades were working in her favor, batting aside his sword with her left before she swung her right hard against his neck!

CLANG!

The blade bounced harmlessly off of him though as he gave her a sneer. "I'm sorry, was that supposed to hurt?" Quickly blasting her with a Heilig Pfeil, the Quincy slowly fluttered above the fairy as she was sent careening to the ground.

"I must say, I'm surprised you went through with that attack. Anyone else likely would have lost their head." He then slowly shook his head. "It's irrelevant at this point. I know that you've yet to use your full power because you're still trying to save some of it for Lord Jellal. However, I'm sure you realize now just how futile of an idea that really is. If you're going to continue fighting me like this, you'd best surrender, Titania."

If Erza had heard even a word of what he said, however, she didn't show it. Her body quivered before she rose to her feet, taking deep breaths until she shouted. "REQUIP, PURGATORY ARMOR!" Covered in a golden light, she soon emerged, clad in a dark, black, spiked armor before she slapped her sword into the ground, the entire room shaking as a result. "I will not allow you to use me for whatever plans that madman has in store! You wish for me to battle you with all of my might, then so be it!"

Jumping up into the air, her blade held high, Erza let out an ear-piercing scream of rage as she came down, plummeting towards Quilge. The Quincy leaped back as she crashed into the ground, creating a small crater before she swung her massive blade at him. Quilge moved up his blade to block her strike, but Erza's power had improved far more than he had anticipated, her blade smashing through his energy blade and smashing into his arm, nearly snapping it in two before he was sent careening away.

Quickly creating another energy blade, Quilge managed to land on his feet before he snapped his right arm into place. 'To think that she was able to damage me so easily with my Blut Vene, while using my Vollstandig no less! She truly is as powerful as they claim!' He looked over in Erza's general direction and quickly switched to Blut Arterie before their blades clashed. Quilge's feet buckled from the blow as he was forced onto one knee from the single strike as he gazed into Erza's eyes. There was no mistaking the anger he was seeing in her eyes, but there were also traces of something else. Something more… vulnerable. 'I see, so I was right after all!'

Erza swung her sword again and again, Quilge managing to parry her blows each time. With every attempt, he could feel the muscles in his arms screaming in protest from each strike. It appeared that even with Blut Arterie, her strength far exceeded his. Erza swung down her sword once more, but this time, Quilge flew up into the sky before he leapt behind her, his blade thrusting to impale her from behind. Erza quickly turned around and swung her sword in a counter swing, creating yet another shockwave before she then kicked him hard in the chest and prepared another swing of her sword. As she brought it down, Quilge was just barely able to parry it with his own before he flew up into the sky and fired his Heilig Pfeil at her once more. However, as the Reishi arrows made their way towards her, Erza let out a mighty shout and swung her blade, the resulting shockwave sending each of his arrows to dissipate from the sheer force of her blow.

She then ran after him once more like an animal after its prey. Quilge followed suit, rocketing after her with full speed and firing arrows at her as he closed the distance. Erza ducked and weaved under the arrows before she raised her blade as Quilge swung his own downwards, blocking the attack before she swung her sword hard, sending the Sternritter into the air before she quickly leapt after him. Fortunately for the Quincy, he managed to fly to the left just in time to dodge her assault, the wrathful woman crashing into the ground once more before she glared at him.

"I see, that armor truly does increase your power to an incredible degree." Quilge praised Erza. "Even with Blut Arterie, I'm just barely able to fend off your attacks. Nor is my Blut Vene anywhere near sufficient to defend against it."

"If that is what you think, then surrender now," Erza demanded as she slowly walked over to him. "Otherwise, you'll feel the full extent of my wrath."

Quilge chuckled as he slowly shook his head. "Now, now, Titania, I admitted that I lack the defensive and offensive might to deal with you properly, but that hardly means victory is outside of my grasp. Allow me to show you just what I mean!" Quilge smiled before then vanishing from sight. Once again was he proving his ability with Hirenkyaku. Erza tried to turn around in time to block the attack, but he was too fast, and his blade cut through her armor and across her back. Erza attempted to swing at him once more as he vanished yet again, his technique gaining him some distance, only for him to immediately appear in front of her and slash across her armor's torso, slightly cutting into her stomach before he grinned.

"Yes, your armor is quite impressive in the offense department, and it seems like it can take quite the beating as well. However, in exchange for those properties, you lose the mobility and speed you had with your other armors. As long as I can use Hirenkyaku to dodge your attacks, defeating you will be simple."

Erza said nothing, merely glaring at her foe before she took another fighting stance. The Quincy sighed before he used Hirenkyaku one last time. However, this time, Erza was able to register his movements, her brown eyes following them, and she lashed out with the heavy blade of her Purgatory Armor. However, Quilge moved out of the way deftly, letting his sword find its mark and drawing blood.

Erza cried out, the blade piercing her shoulder. Quilge held it there then.

"As I said, amazing power, but no speed to back it up," Quilge taunted as he pulled the blade back at last, blood trailing from the spiritual metal to Erza's wound. "Your armors may surpass me in any given field, but you become a master of one, while I am a master of a-"

Erza's left arm suddenly shot up then, grabbing Quilge around the wrist of his sword arm.

"Unhand me," Quilge demanded, his voice a hiss.

Erza did no such thing, the warrior wizard twisting on her heels as she dragged Quilge off his feet... and brought him directly into her Purgatory Blade as it swung from the other direction.

The weapon crashed into Quilge with perfect synchronicity with Erza, the mage letting go upon the precise moment of impact and leaving the Quincy to be sent rocketing away from the sheer force, his body smashing into the far stone wall.

The Quincy groaned as he slowly got to his feet. His left arm was a tangled, bloody mess. Even with Blute Vene active, there was too much damage for him to do something as simple as snapping it back into place. He reached into one of his pockets and poured a Ginto capsule all over the wounded arm. The bleeding had stopped, though it remained battered and beaten regardless.

"You… are quite the entertainer, Titania." Quilge said as Erza rushed towards him once more, her weapon held high. "With the exception of special war power Ichigo Kurosaki, I've never once experienced such a beating." 20 feet. 15 feet. 10 feet, Erza was closing in on him faster and faster, the S-class mage determined to end this once and for all. She could finally move on from this pointless battle and move onto-

"It's too bad then, that you still lose." He pointed his right hand at her then, and in almost an instant, Erza was surrounded by a cage made out of magic.

Erza crashed into the bars of the jail before she looked around her. Trapped. She was completely trapped! Her eyes widened then, and her body quivered before she swung at the cage with her Purgatory Armor's blade. However, much like at Akane Resort, her blade bounced off. She swung it again and again, her face contorting with desperation to break free. Again and again she struck, Erza putting her back into it, striking the cage's form with tremendous force. However, no matter how much she tried, it held against her attack. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Erza cried out with each new swing. "I am no mere bird you can lock away in a cage, do you hear me!? I am a wizard of Fairy Tail!"

Her jailor merely shook his head as she continued to strike the cage over and over. The ground shook, but the jail remained sturdy. "You don't seem to realize it, do you, Titania?" The arrogant Quincy spoke as he approached her cage. "You may have thought you've been fighting me this during this match, but this entire time you haven't just been fighting one opponent, but three." He then looked around her before he looked into her eyes. "Do you know what those are?" He was met with nothing but silence as Erza continued trying to break free. He continued speaking. "I am the first, of course. Another is the tower itself. I've been told the history that you've shared with this place. It's to be expected, no one would ever dare to return to such a place under normal circumstances. But the fact remains that you are here, and it's placed its toll on your mind. Which brings me to the final foe you were fighting today… yourself."

Erza stood still for the moment, letting Quilge's words sink in as memories of her past came to the forefront, memories she had been trying this entire battle to suppress. All around her was the pain of her past, all of it represented by the Tower of Heaven. She unknowingly had let it sink in and infect her, let it stoke the flames of her rage. However, that was not the biggest issue. She had fought with reckless abandon in the past, reveling in her rage, and while it was not the ideal way to fight, not at all, she had always managed to prevail. No, this time there had been something else holding her back.

As if he sensed her realization, Quilge spoke up. "You understand now, don't you? You've let your emotions take over you. Anger clouds your judgment, and it's caused you to make foolish mistakes, but you've been dealing with more than just that. Do you know what it is?" Quilge didn't give Erza a moment to contemplate before answering for her. "Fear. It is fear that holds you back. It is fear which causes you to act without a true plan, and fear which causes you to act irrationally. Fear... is, as my old comrade would call it, the mind killer. Äs Nödt considered himself the living instrument of its will, but if he could see what this tower in all its innate glory has done to one such as you... Well, I would assume he'd realize that he is but a rank amateur."

Erza took a deep breath, closing her eyes and collecting her thoughts before she spoke. "You... are correct. I have allowed this tower... No, I have allowed my past to hold me back. To control me. For so long I have been seeing that past with one eye, allowing tears to be shed, while the other eye could only see the present." Erza opened only her right eye then, leaving the other to remain shut. "This eye has seen nothing of that past, committed nothing of it to memory. It can shed no tears in its wake. All I thought it could see was the present, Quilge Opie. However, I was mistaken."

Quilge quizzically tilted his head. "Oh?"

"It can see the future as well," Erza said. "And for too long I was allowing my fear to cloud its vision. Yes, the future I see now is bright. One without fear or anger. One without this tower or the machinations of Jellal... and one where you no longer stand in my way."

Quilge stared at Erza before he began to chuckle, which quickly grew to a loud laugh. "Ahahahaha! Even now, you still think you have what it takes to defeat me!? You certainly have quite the resolve, I'll give you that! But surely you've realized by now that it's impossible for you to break free! Your most powerful armor has been all but useless in your attempts to escape!"

What Quilge said was true… to an extent. While the Purgatory Armor was the most powerful armor in her collection that she had used before, there were still two armors she had yet to ever use. Two supposed aces in the hole that Elisabeth gave to her on her last visit to the wizard saint's armory. One made with the sole purpose of fighting wizard saint-level opponents, but Erza didn't dare think of using it here. Odds were her dear comrades would no doubt be caught in its resulting power and likely perish. However, there was one other armor left. One that supposedly dispelled magic itself. If there was any armor that would allow her to escape, it would be that one. Erza focused then, reaching out to her armory for one last suit of armor she had left to try. The risk of this maneuver was great due to how much magical power it would drain from her, a risk like none other. However, she knew of one way to minimize this risk.

"No more fear..." Erza whispered as images from her long-lost past vanished from her mind, memories of all of her friends losing their lives to Jellal. All that remained now was her resolve. Her voice then reached up to a crescendo and rang out. "Requip! Nakagami Armor!" She charged forward then as she was clad in golden light, her form changing. In her hands now she wielded a great halberd with a circular gold handle and a purple cloth tied below the blade. However, while she was wielding the halberd from the Nakagami armor itself, the rest of her armor had vanished entirely, the S-class wizard having now abandoned her armor in exchange for her clear heart clothing, thus lessening the amount of magic she would expel considerably.

"It's useless!" Quilge yelled out as Erza's halberd clashed with his cage. "There's no way for you to possibly break-" However, as he was speechifying about how indestructible his jail was, the blade of the halberd slashed through the cage's energy bars and Erza burst through, completely free of the jail's confines! "What!? That's impossible!"

"Perhaps it is," Erza shouted as she sped towards Quilge, her halberd at hand, "but you've left me no choice but to go beyond what's possible!" As the distance closed, a clear, focused, intimidating gaze reflected in Erza's eyes as she added calmly, "And simply do."

Quilge raised his sword up, ready to block her attack, but as he moved to defend against her halberd, the edge of Erza's halberd sliced through his own weapon as if it were merely butter. "What!?" Quilge cried out before he jumped back with Hirenkyaku and began to fire a barrage of Heilig Pfeil at Erza. "Why won't you fall!?"

But as each arrow came into contact with Erza's blade- no, even before they made contact, the arrows vanished, seemingly into thin air.

"What!? What sort of sorcery is this!?" Quilge demanded as Erza closed the distance. He tried to attack her with his newly reformed blade one last time with a powerful thrust, but once more did Erza's blade cut through his own and across his own chest, Blut Vene doing nothing to lessen the blow. Quilge was tossed up into the air, crying out in pain before falling to the ground.

Erza gazed at the defeated Quincy before she began to walk past him. Her body pulsed with pain, the Nakagami Armor's halberd having taken its toll on her, but she ignored it for now, simply unequipping the halberd and returning to her Heart Kreuz armor. The fight had been costly, but she had more than enough magic for what she would need. Not a word passed her lips as she pressed on. Though fear and anger no longer walked with her hand in hand, by her side was still a steely determination to stop someone. To stop Jellal Fernandes.

"Where… do you think you're going?"

Erza's eyes widened then as she turned around to see Quilge stumbling back on his feet. There was an energy projection of some sort behind him, strings of light controlling the movements of his arms and legs. He slowly stumbled forward then as he glared at Erza.

"This battle… isn't finished. Not yet. As long as I can use Ransōtengai, I can continue to fight. So stand and fight me, Titania!"

Erza simply looked at him, and for once her face was not one of pure anger and hatred, but rather sternness. She shook her head before she spoke. "No, I refuse to do battle with an already beaten opponent. You've fought longer and harder than your so-called master deserves. Stand down."

"Stand down? Stand down!?" Quilge yelled at her. "I refuse! If I were to just stand down and let you destroy this tower, you'll destroy the dream world I've worked so hard to create!" He stumbled forward then as he continued. "I have done too much, taken far too many lives to let it all be for nothing! Do you have any idea how many sins I have committed in order to create a true Utopia?! A world filled with only the strong! A world with no war, no strife! A world of peace! You wish to deny us that because it's too hard, because of all the bloodshed!? If so, then you are a fool, Titania! There is no other way to make that world, that grand utopia, without sacrifice! I do what I have not because I want to, but because there's no one else who will!"

He burst into a rush then, at least as best as he could, before he raised his blade high. "To stand down would mean that all of those people would have died for nothing! I will not let you stand in my way! Titania!"

He swung his sword down at Erza, only for the redhead to simply catch his sword arm with her right hand and deliver a powerful punch to his gut with her left, knocking the wind out of Quilge as he spewed out saliva from his mouth. He walked back a few feet as Erza let go of his hand before he fell backward, Ransōtengai fading when he hit the ground. "No...No...I...I can't...let my dream...die. I...can't."

Erza looked down at the fallen Quincy as her eyes looked over his body. It was clear that he was finally defeated and likely wouldn't get up for quite some time. There was no point in staying here any longer. And yet… She knew deep down if she just left him here as he was, it was quite likely that he would continue on with his righteously wicked ways. There was no proof that he would be contained by any mere cell. From what little she could glean from their encounter, the man was crafty and knew his way around the world. Not to mention the fact that she was unsure if seal stone collars would even halt one's flow of Reiryoku. No, escape from imprisonment was more than a likely possibility and she would rather not deal with this potential thorn in her side ever again.

"The world you desired could have never existed," Erza spoke as she knelt down to him. "There is some truth to what you've said, I'll admit it. A true Utopia would likely not exist without some sort of sacrifice. But killing off those who you consider weak will not bring about the world you desire. No, it'll only create more hatred and discord in the world. The ones who are strong have ones that they love, and more than likely, would not meet your criteria for your so-called Utopia. Do you really think anyone would simply fall in line for this new world order if it came at the cost of the ones they loved?"

Quilge scoffed at her words. "There would no doubt be some stragglers in the mix, but-"

"Then when does it end?" Erza demanded. "The war and violence you claim to detest so much? When does peace finally reign? The fact of the matter is, it never would. If your rule can only exist by taking the lives of others, then the hatred of those responsible will spur on rebellion until those responsible are brought to justice, something which would then create another cycle of violence. You wouldn't bring about peace. The only thing your world would create is chaos. And another thing! If you cull the weak, as you so eloquently put it, the strong would never be strong equally! There would always be a difference in power! The terms 'weakness' and 'weak' would not vanish from the pages of history! What is deemed as 'weak' would simply change in definition! No matter what you do, someone will always be weak and someone will always be strong!"

She stood up then before she continued. "You claim that with strength comes prosperity. I won't deny that there is truth to those words, but what use is strength if it is used only for oneself? Those who only have power for the sake of power are more than likely to be those who abuse it. What would you do then, if they were the ones in power?"

"Then… then those who are righteous would use their power to dethrone them!" Quilge stated as his eyes began to dart about, his resolve wavering. "Those are the ones who should rule in the first place!"

"The same righteous people who would allow for their loved ones to die for this new world?" Erza countered. When she was met with silence, she continued. "Let me ask you one last thing. If might truly makes right, then why is it that your dreams, your desires, have always failed? Not once, not twice? But three times?!"

Quilge stared at her, stammering incoherent words. He wanted nothing more than to rebuke what she was saying, that she was wrong, that she just couldn't see the bigger picture… but he couldn't. Try as he might, he could never shake off the fact that her words made sense!

"You see it now, don't you?" Erza continued. "That the so-called Utopia you've strived for would have only resulted in failure. You believe that you've done everything you have up until this moment was for the greater good, but I don't think that's true. No… you've simply come up with this ideology to explain how the world around you has changed. To come up with a simple solution for a problem that doesn't truly have an answer. The unfortunate fact is, Quilge Opie… that there is no one single, easy answer for creating the world you desire… and there never will be."

Like Erza moments ago, Quilge's life flashed before his eyes. All of the lives he took, the horrible atrocities he ignored in the name of his "new world," the subordinates he killed for cowardice. It was all hitting him like a brick wall. Everyone he had worked with before had never once, not once, called him out for his beliefs. And why would they have? He was just what they needed, the perfect little puppet who was willing to dance to their tune, so why tell him he was living a life of lies? If it benefited them, why bother?

No, it wasn't their fault. He was entirely to blame. He should have known better than to have thought that his solution would have solved anything. No, perhaps deep down, he had already known… He just refused to accept it. He was no better than the dictator he had served when he was alive! Those Arrancar he had killed, Hollows they may have been… but they were still beings that used to be human. Beings that he slaughtered merely for being what they were. To think, he had thought that he was any better than that madman.

This whole time… I've been played for a fool! Quilge screamed internally. Everything that I've done until now, all of the lives I've taken… was all for naught? Was I really just following an empty dream to explain all the hell around me?! What have I…? What have I…?

"WHAT HAVE I DONE!?" Quilge cried out as he felt the figurative weight of all of his sins finally catching up to him. He wasn't bringing about peace, justice, or any of the things he had spouted for years! He was a murderer! A monster, a man who had aided and abetted tyrants with glee! And for what?! For a lie that he had concocted for himself!?

"I… I MUST REPENT!" Quilge screamed as he reached for his saber and held it above his heart. "There can be no other way to atone for what I have done! Titania… Thank you for opening my eyes to the truth!" He plunged his sword down, fully intending for the metal Reishi blade to pierce his own heart!

Erza's right hand reached out then, grabbing Quilge's own by the wrist before she glared into his eyes.

"Do you really think that you can just take the easy way out? To go out on your terms, to die how you want, to avoid the pain of guilt? Do you honestly think that will make up for the sins you've committed?" Erza held him with a firm grip, not giving an inch. "It will not. Those you've hurt between two worlds will remain hurt... or worse. It cannot be changed by something as simple as ending another life, even if it's your own. You cannot take it back. All you can do is move forward, to use your talents as you should have in the first place. To truly help those in need."

"Why… why!?" Quilge asked her as he looked at her, unable to believe what she just said. "Do you truly believe what you're saying?! I'm a monster, Titania! I don't deserve your pity!" His face, contorted with madness, seemed to have lost all semblance of rationality. "Anyone else would have just let me die! Is this just because of your guild's creed, is that it!? You speak of my beliefs as if they are nothing, but here you are using your own beliefs to justify your own brand of cruelty, Titania!"

Erza slammed her forehead into Quilge's. The weight of her resolve cracking into his skull like an egg on the side of a frying pan. Dazed, Quilge's head tilted towards the ceiling.

"The difference between our beliefs is that I don't use mine to justify my actions. I act first, according to my will, and then see how it matches up with the beliefs of those around me. I did not join Fairy Tail because of my beliefs, I belong in Fairy Tail because we all have like-minded beliefs. That's the difference. And my belief is that the life I lived, wracked and scarred by guilt as it is, still has value to keep moving forward. As can yours."

Quilge looked at Erza's face, trying to see if he could see any signs of deceit. It was entirely probable that she merely wished to keep him alive for information once this whole ordeal was over, assuming she survived that is. However, as he looked over her face, while it still remained as stern as ever, he was unable to find anything that would lead him to find her words false, the conviction with which she spoke them earlier only further proving her words trustworthy. Or maybe it was just the lightheadedness from his growing concussion. Either way, he found no means of refuting Erza's statements.

Quilge let go of his blade then, the weapon clanging against the ground as it fell before he sighed. "Very well. I surrender… Titania."

Erza gently let go of his hand then, relief subtly washing over her face. "Thank you for not letting another life end in this tower." She began to move onward, once more filled with resolve to bring an end to Jellal's mad scheme.

Quilge laid down on the ground as he watched her walk off. Despite her injuries, despite everything he had said, she had still found it in her to spare his life. He closed his eyes then as he thought back to his earlier clash with Bambietta. 'I see… So that's why you fought so strongly for her, wasn't it? She truly is… an incredible mage.'

"Titania, no, Erza Scarlet!" Quilge called out to her. She turned around then before he spoke. "I pray that you can put an end to this madness. Once and for all."

"I intend to do just that," Erza said, her back facing Quilge as she continued to move forward. "My life is worth that much at least."


A QUINCY'S FAIRY TAIL OMAKE THEATER!

Quilge was knelt down, the former SternRitter awaiting the order from his master within his chambers to begin his grand mission to bring about the new world he and his master strived to bring about. Finally, a light flicked from his communication larcima, revealing his master via a hologram.

"My lord, is it finally time?" Quilge pondered.

"Indeed it is," Jellal said with a sneer. "It's about time I had Erza back in my hands, once and for all. Execute Order 66."

Quilge could have sworn then he heard the blare of trumpets and an outcry from a former, SciFi loving stern ritter, but he paid it no mind. He had a mission to accomplish.

"Yes, by the time we are done, she shall be...The Last Fairy."

Quilge could definitely swear he heard Bambietta wail in utter annoyance that time.


Thus concludes yet another battle in the tower of heaven.

Quilge was a character I've always wanted to do more with. It was he who set the relatively high bar for the stern ritter to come, many of whom (I'd argue about half) didn't live up to what we had expected. Blut Vene, Blut Arterie, Sklaverei, and Ransōtengai. All of these are really interesting Quincy techniques that Quilge used to a brilliant degree, only for us to never see them again. Perhaps Kubo simply felt we didn't wish to see them used again, but I felt it was a missed opportunity.

While his initial backstory as a Nazi was one I had always planned on, the further direction I decided to take his character in is relatively new. Much like Bambietta, I felt there was a compelling narrative to this character that I could bring out. One in a soldier who, while not committing acts of evil himself (in his old life that is, not in the Vandenreich, he was certainly committing evil there) but ignoring them for what he believed to be for the greater good, felt like a fascinating idea for me to try out.

To be clear, I find what the character did to be absolutely reprehensible even if he wasn't directly involved in those terrible events, but I felt that his character could be taken in an interesting direction. I understand it's possible that some people may not be fond of this idea, and I totally understand. All I ask is to allow me the chance to try to make it work. I mean if Kubo is allowed to keep Mayuri alive and on the side of good despite committing such terrible atrocities (Worse than any other in the series in my opinion) then I personally believe that this shouldn't be too much of a stretch.

I do hope that I was able to deliver well on the action, as well as show off how all of this is affecting Erza. I still feel quite inexperienced as a writer, but I do hope I conveyed the necessary emotions needed for her character. I'm far from finished though, as there is plenty more where that came from in the future.

Well,I believe that's everything. I'm looking forward to your reviews and hope that you enjoy it.

MPFs

Erza (Heart Kreuz): 2750

Quilge (Base): 3400

Erza (Heaven's Wheel): 3450

Erza (Flame Empress): 4150

Erza (Lightning Empress): 4200

Erza (Black Wing Armor): 4500

Erza (Giant's Armor): 5000

Erza (Purgatory Armor): 6350

Quilge (Vollstandig): 6255

Erza (Nakagami Halberd): 7000