Hi everyone, thanks again for your patience. So, in the previous chapter, shit has hit the fan with the Oracion Seis and Order of the Sword making their final preparations, with even the kidnapping of Kyrie, and the reveal that the Michelle Lobster girl that's been with Fairy Tail the whole time has been a fraud. But, you ain't seen nothing yet. Believe me, things are going to get worse before they get better.

With that being said, let's get started.

Despair of the Savior

Kardia Cathedral seemed normal on the surface, the building being empty as nobody decided to pay it a visit today. However, beneath the building, in a large underground cavern appeared to be a tomb that had been untouched for years. That is until, a certain mad scientist from the Order of the Sword had entered the tomb from the surface.

"Ah, at long last, we have found you." Agnus said in a lull as he approached a single sarcophagus that carried the emblem of Zentopia on it, with three giant horse-head statues built around it. "Will Neville. A shame you could not be here to see your work undone. The descendants of all your comrades are being hunted down as we speak."

Agnus reached toward the coffin, only to feel an invisible barrier preventing his hand from getting any further. "Hmmp, so a few links remain. No matter, they should be wrapping up at any m-m-m-moment. Until then…" He took out a lacrima communicator from his pocket and contacted his leader. "Your Holiness, I have found Neville's resting place. Though it seems the Neo Oracion Seis haven't quite finished their work yet."

"No matter." Sanctus replied. "Preparations are all but complete on our end, just a few more moments before our Savior can rise."


Fortuna

Sanctus put away his communicator as he and Midnight gazed up toward the still-inactive Infinity Clock. "Everything has fallen into place perfectly." Sanctus told his ally.

"Of course, it has." Midnight sneered. "Though Erigor has fallen, I'm certain the others can finish their job. Once the body-links have been severed, we'll be able to unleash the devastating power that Sparda so desperately tried to seal away. That, along with an unexpected but welcoming factor."

Midnight glanced behind him toward the still-unconscious Kyrie, who remained bound in dark green tendrils from Midnight's magic, along with the same substance covering her mouth to prevent her from speaking should she remain conscious.

"We were worried the vessel would be unable to withstand the Infinity Clock's full power, even when channeled through the Savior." Sanctus admitted. "Sparda's heir is one thing, but she is only human, and we both know just how weak the human body is. However, with the Arc of Seraph, we can see to it that neither of their bodies will deteriorate. At long last…" He spread out his arms. "The Savior is upon us!"

He and Midnight glanced past the Infinity Clock toward what appeared to be a giant white humanoid statue, with a large assortment of feathers around its arms, shoulders and neck; a pair of horns on the side of its head curved downward; and two large gemstones with one on its forehead, and the other in its chest.

"We just got a message from the Magic Council Custody Enforcement Unit!" One Fiore Soldier exclaimed as he began to broadcast the message to all the other squads and small armies of Royal Soldiers all across the country. "The Oracion Seis and the current leadership of the Order of the Sword are confirmed to be working together! Their goal is not to destroy churches as we originally thought! They're after the Celestial Wizards being sheltered inside! We must locate and protect these wizards at all costs! I repeat, the Celestial Wizards being sheltered by the Zentopian churches are the primary targets of the Oracion Seis and the Order of the Sword! Protect them at all costs!"

This message was broadcasted to all the soldiers as they tried to assemble and move onto the churches that the Neo Oracion Seis haven't yet struck. They would find the Celestial Wizards inside and move them to a secure location. But would they make it in time? Can they protect these people from such a dangerous adversary? Only time will tell, and they were running out of it.


Fairy Tail Guildhall.

"What?! Are you serious?!" Warren exclaimed as he and the rest of the guild received an alert from Gildarts, Laki, and Morrison. The trio communicated what they had found through a communication-card that Cana had lent them. "Our Michelle is an imposter!"

To say this news was shocking would be an understatement. Everyone present in the guildhall were nothing short of stupefied, especially Patty as she and everyone else continued to listen.

"We're not certain on all the details." Morrison told them. "But the Order of the Sword were trying hard to keep prying eyes from finding this girl, so it does seem likely. This girl has got to be the real Michelle Lobster."

"I can't believe this…" Warren muttered. "I'll let Master, Lucy, Dante, and everyone else know right away!"

"Please do. We'll try to get this girl to the nearest hospital." Morrison said before the communication was cut off.

"I… I don't believe this…" Patty muttered as she sat back in a chair, her eyes shaking in disbelief. "Michelle… is a fake? But… she was so nice…"

"We're all shocked here." Romeo tried to tell her. "But… if the girl who has been with us this whole time is not Michelle Lobster, then who is she?"

"If the Order of the Sword is responsible for this, then it seems like they've been planning to use us from the very beginning." Macao said with a scowl. "How the hell couldn't I have seen this coming?!"

"Hey, don't beat yourself up, man." Wakaba told his friend. "We even performed a background check to make sure she was the real deal. But I guess the Order's been very thorough."

"Why would they go to such lengths just to fool us though? It doesn't make any sense?" Bisca asked.

"Maybe it was to keep an eye on Dante." Alzack guessed.

"Makes sense." Cana agreed. "He is Sparda's son, after all. They probably thought he was the biggest threat to their plans." She took out a communication card. "We gotta get in contact with him and his team right now! Dante! Dante, are you there?!" She tried to call him, but got no response. "Lucy! Natsu! Elfman! Somebody!" Still nothing. "What the hell…?!"

"Oh no! What if they're in trouble!?" Patty looked like she was about to panic. "What if that fake Michelle got to them?!"

Before anyone else could respond, Vijeeter suddenly came running in. "Bad news! We just got word that somebody from the Order of the Sword is at Kardia Cathedral!"

"What?!" Macao exclaimed.

"Crap! There's nobody there to protect it!" Warren scowled.

"I'll go right now." Alzack said immediately before turning to his wife. "You coming?"

"Of course." She said without hesitation. "We got any of those Angelo things there too?" She asked Vijeeter.

"No, just one man." He shook his head.

"Watch yourselves." Macao told the pair. "If we've learned anything during this whole mess, nothing is at all what it seems."

"Got it." Alzack nodded as he and Bisca prepared to head out. "Try to tell Dante and the others what's going on!"


"Hey, if any of you can hear me, the Michelle with you is a fake! Please somebody answer me!" Cana continued to try and alert the group. Unfortunately, her communication card was in the pocket of Elfman, who laid beaten and unconscious on the ground.

"Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame!" Natsu threw a massive fireball toward Gilver, only for him to draw his katana and slice forward, sending a wave of ice-magic to slice the fireball in half, with both halves exploding behind him just as Natsu landed in front of Gilver to attack. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" Natsu's fist was however blocked by Gilver's katana, which lit on fire before turning to electricity, which surged around him as he slid past Natsu, slicing and electrocuting him at the same time.

"Hold still you freak show!" Aquarius aimed her urn to blast a concentrated water cyclone straight at Gilver, but he only smirked.

"Hey, you know what happens when electricity runs through water?" Gilver questioned as his katana lit with lightning again before aiming it at the incoming cyclone, blasting a bolt straight into it, charging the water with electricity before it traveled straight back to Aquarius, shocking her a great deal. However, Gilver's katana was suddenly aimed away as his arm was ensnared by Lucy's celestial whip, the Fleuve d'etoiles.

Lucy yanked on her whip to trip up Gilver slightly before drawing her other weapon, the Morning Star, which she spun around to gain momentum before kicking at the main club on the end of the chain to send it straight at Gilver, which he blocked by parrying it with his katana before zooming in close to knock her down with a kick to the face.

"The Morning Star whip, huh?" Gilver commented. "That's a pretty nifty weapon, but you're not that experienced at it, are you?" He sneered at the glaring Lucy.

"Maybe not…" A smirk fell on her face. "But it did distract you."

Gilver looked in confusion, even as Dante suddenly appeared behind him to slash Rebellion with one hand, which Gilver barley blocked with his katana. The force of the swords colliding broke Gilver's guard, allowing Dante to flash Ebony with his other hand and shoot multiple bullets into Gilver's face. He then leapt back to gain some distance, only to find he'd stepped directly in-between Natsu and Aquarius.

"We got em now!" Natsu smirked.

"Hit him, flame-brain!" Aquarius smirked as well before throwing out her urn to unleash a large wave of water from one side, while Natsu attacked from the other.

"Fire Dragon Wing Attack!" Waves of flame from one end with waves of water from the other, which seemed to put Gilver in the middle of a pincer attack. However, he quickly drew his katana, where a powerful whirlwind formed around it, before plunging it into the ground to create a powerful tornado around himself, acting as a shield to keep the flames and water at bay before leaping from the top of the tornado to a hilltop.

"Okay, gotta admit that was pretty clever." Gilver commented. "You kids got some good teamwork. But what good is that gonna do ya now?" He questioned with an evil smirk. "You all look pretty tired, you're down a man, and your top guy is on his last legs from the beating I gave him." He then looked directly at Dante. "Seriously Dante, what kind of Son of Sparda has to depend on others to help him out? Didn't Nell teach you anything?!"

"Keep talking you son of a bitch!" Dante yelled before he felt his own side, something Lucy noticed.

'He's not wrong though.' Lucy thought to herself. 'Dante's being put through the ringer. This guy somehow knows all his moves and powers, and which buttons to push. I know Dante can take some serious punishment, but still…'

She was not the only one trying to analyze the situation. Byro continued to stand from the same spot, still unmoving as he continued to focus on the fight while also contemplating with his own thoughts.

'If they continue to throw themselves at each other, it certainly makes my job easier. However, I don't understand. Why are they ordering this now? What is the reasoning?' He glanced at Lucy first, and then Michelle behind her. 'And why is she here? From what I've seen, this girl doesn't have any magic power or combat abilities, so why bring her into a battle?'

Gilver heard the sounds of marching footsteps and turned toward the church behind him to seea large unit of Fiore soldiers having already made their way to the church and began to go inside.

"Oh, I almost forgot the reason I came here." Gilver said before turning to his enemies. "Quick raincheck, kids! I got somebody I gotta kill!" He then leapt from his spot, moving directly to the church.

"Hey, get back here!" Natsu shouted as he and his friends tried to give pursuit, but he was already there.

Gilver had just landed on the roof of the church, catching all the soldiers by surprise. "Nuh, uh, uh." He shook his finger to the soldiers. "Can't have you getting in our way, so… I'm gonna have to kill you guys too. Nothing personal!" He pointed his katana upwards as it began to vibrate, before swinging it down onto the roof. The second it made contact, a powerful tremor shot through the whole building, causing it to explode and cave in on itself; killing nearly all the soldiers, as well as everyone else inside.

"Shit!" Dante cursed.

"Why is he attacking the church?" Lucy questioned.

"This is reprehensible!" Byro suddenly ran onto the scene and leapt toward Gilver, who stood atop the church ruins. "Curse you!" He activated his Magic Nullification and tried to strike Gilver with his staff, but his own natural speed proved quick enough to avoid the powerful impact and appear behind Byro where he stabbed him in the back, much to everyone's shock.

"Oh, so now you join in on the fun?" Gilver asked rhetorically as he drove his blade in further. "Don't worry, I've avoided stabbing anything vital. We may still have plans for you, Byro."


"Sand Slash!" Max threw a wave of sand towards an unphased Cobra.

"It's pointless. I hear you." Cobra only released a small wave of sound to blow away Max's attack, only for Max to appear behind him.

"Don't be so sure!" Before Max could get the drop on him, Cobra delivered a kick to his abs.

"Don't you listen?" Cobra questioned somewhat irritably before the Max he kicked disintegrated into sand that ensared his foot and bound it to the ground.

"Heh, the joke's on you, pal!" The real Max popped up from the ground. "Erza! Modeus! Get him!"

Clad in her Infinity Robe, Erza spun her bisento as she came in from one end; with Modeus drawing Hunter's Moon to lunge from the other end. However, Cobra wasn't the least bit phased.

"How idiotic, I hear your attacks coming!" Cobra unleashed an all-encompassing sonic blast to knock back Erza, Max, as well as Modeus. He then appeared directly behind Erza, ready to unleash another attack. "Now die…"

Suddenly, Max popped up from the ground to take the blast, much to Erza's surprise. "Max!" This did briefly surprise Cobra, which Modeus attempted to take advantage of by preparing an attack of his own.

"Demon Sword: Residual Moon!" However, Cobra leapt into the air just as Modeus swung his attack and cleaved through the air.

"How many times do I have to say it? I hear your attacks coming!" Cobra told him.

"Are you so certain?" Modeus questioned with a knowing smirk. Upon reading his thoughts and learning his intent, Cobra's eyes widened as the air Modeus sliced through generated a glowing white crescent-moon shape before exploding outward. The shockwave was able to send Cobra back, but he spun in the air before recovering and landing on a hilltop.

"You actually caught me off guard back there. But don't expect it to happen again." Cobra said with a glare. Before the fight could continue however, a glob of green jelly-like substance tried to encompass him from behind, but Cobra was able to slide past and avoid the attack before he glared at the attacker, while Modeus and Erza looked in surprise.

"Oh man, you are a slippery one, ain't ya snake-boy." Sugarboy said as he took a fancy dancer-like pose.

"Isn't he with the Order?" Modeus questioned.

"Yes, Sugarboy I believe it is." Erza confirmed.

"You folks don't have to worry, I'm on your side now." Sugarboy revealed, much to the further surprise of Modeus and Erza, while Cobra simply glared at him. "See his Holiness has actually been working with these crazy folk to start some kind of Armageddon thing going on here, and that ain't gonna fly with me! So giddy on little doggies, choak old snake boy right there! Crazy!" He pointed his fingers directly at Cobra, prompting the green slime to shoot at Cobra.

"Get lost, maggot." Cobra waved his hand to redirect the sound from Sugarboy's voice directly at the slime itself, causing it to out of control and flow directly back at Sugarboy, much to his surprise.

"What the heck?! My doggies are going rabid! No!" Sugarboy found himself completely engulfed by the out-of-control slime. However, multiple blade slashes were able to cut through the slime as Modeus pulled Sugarboy out of the trap, with him and Erza having cut it away.

"Are you alright?" Erza asked as they regrouped near the downed Max and Evergreen, placing Sugarboy beside them.

"Yeah, thanks honey." Sugarboy gave a finger salute.

"Why'd you bother saving the life of that worthless fodder?" Cobra questioned. "He was your enemy, wasn't he?"

"Do we really need a reason to help someone who needs it?" Modeus questioned in response.

"I see." Cobra looked toward Modeus directly. "But let me ask you, Modeus; do you help people because of your pathetic guild's principles or whatever the hell Sparda taught you? Or is it because you're doing to try and make up for what happened to Baul."

That earned a glare from Erza while Modeus simply had a serious expression, his pupils shaking slightly at his brother's name.

"You killed your own twin brother!" Cobra pointed toward Modeus. "It's been your single greatest regret, and you're trying to make up for it by saving as many of these worthless worms as you can! But let me tell you something, no matter what you do, no matter how hard you work, nothing is going to bring your brother back! He's gone for good! So why do you still fight?! Why waste your time fighting for something so trivial, if only to distract you from such an atrocious act!"

"How dare you!" Erza was about to protest, but Modeus held out his arm to stop her from advancing, much to her surprise. "Modeus?"

A small but sad smile formed on his face. "I thought you could read minds, but it seems you couldn't be further from the truth."

Cobra raised a small eyebrow in surprise as Modeus spoke to him.

"You are correct, I did end the life of my own twin brother. But do you truly believe this is some buried secret that I've tried to hide or distract myself rom? I live with what happened to Baul every day, but not in the way you think!" Modeus revealed. "Do I regret my actions? Yes, I do. I'll likely regret it for the rest of my life. I keep asking myself, 'how could I have done it differently?', 'Should I have simply injured him instead of striking him down?', 'I should have spoken to him beforehand', similar thoughts continue to play through my mind. Even as I sleep, I can't help but dream of what would have happened if things were done differently. I even imagine Baul joining Fairy Tail alongside me, finding a new reason for living fighting alongside people that he could consider friends." It was true, even now Modeus envisioned his late brother in the Fairy Tail guildhall alongside himself, Dante, Natsu, Erza, Gray, Lisanna, Lucy, and even Wendy and the rest of the guild simply enjoying the little things in life. "But I know it won't happen, my brother is gone. And while I will miss him forever, regret my act in taking his life, as well as carry that act with me forever… I have made with peace with that."

Even though he could hear his thoughts, Cobra could never expect to hear those words coming from Modeus' mouth. "What…?!"

"You may be able to read my thoughts or even see my memories, but that doesn't mean you actually know me or my brother." Modeus continued. "You don't know the relationship we shared with each other. Even if we took two completely different paths, and he lost himself along the way, I know he would want me to live my life true to its aspirations and for me to carry it out, such as the promise we each made to each other as well as our mentor. I'll always regret not being able to save him, but I don't dwell on that regret or my loss. I instead use it to honor my brother, by fighting alongside the comrades and friends I have made now and protecting those who cannot protect themselves. And I know for a fact… that is what Baul would have wanted."

Cobra looked into Modeus' thoughts, hearing them with his own ears, and he could tell that every word Modeus spoke was the truth. And that seemed to make him all the angrier.

"How…?!" He clenched his fists in rage as his whole body shook. "How could you possibly make peace with that?! You lost someone who meant the world to you, and you choose to accept that!? You're not honoring your brother's memories; you're disgracing him by doing that!"

"You speak as if you know, and I can tell that is true." Erza interrupted, causing Cobra to glare at her. "That Cubellios you mentioned earlier, she was someone important to you wasn't she? But you lost her. You've let that pain from your loss consume you, eat away at your spirit until there is nothing but a hallow shell inside. But I can hear it. The pain in your voice, the anguish in your heart. I don't know what sort of relationship you've had with this Cubellios, but if you truly care about her, then you should be aiming to conquer your grief. Make yourself into someone that she can be proud of and honor her memory!"

"SHUT UP!" Cobra yelled, losing his composure completely. "DON'T YOU TALK LIKE YOU KNOW US! SHE'S NOT GONE! I'LL FIND HER! I'LL FIND HER EVEN IF I HAVE TO RIP THIS WORLD APART!" As he shouted, he unleashed an enormous breath attack that resembled a glowing dark red liquid straight at the pair.

However, a wall of green slime shot up from the ground in front of them to not only block but absorb the attack, much to Cobra's irritation as Erza and Modeus turned back to the man who helped them.

"I told you folks… we're on the same side now…!" Sugarboy said with a smirk, his fingers pointed forward having directed the slime to protect them.

"Thank you." Modeus nodded.

Cobra continued to glare; his teeth bared against each other as the words his opponents spoke to him continue to echo in his head. However, this momentary distraction also allowed him to hear what was going on near the church.

"Now then, come with us."

"We found a Celestial Wizard inside the church. What should we do, sir?"

"Good work. Let's get her to safety."

Cobra scowled. "I'm done wasting time with all of you. I've got a mission to get back to." He then ran away from the battle as quickly as he could.

"He's escaping!" Erza stated.

Modeus turned towards Sugarboy. "We have to stop him, please look after our comrades." He requested, refering to the still downed Max and Evergreen.

"Don't worry pretty boy. Ain't nothing gonna happen to your pals." Sugarboy snapped his fingers with a smirk.

"Thank you, Sugarboy." Erza nodded before she and Modeus ran in pursuit of their enemy.


Meanwhile; the group consisting of Gray, Lisanna, Freed, and Dan gave chase as Gloria leapt further down the tunnel of ice, her body coated in lightning as she zapped from wall-to-wall, gaining further distance from the pursuing heroes.

"Get back here!" Gray shouted as he prepared an attack. "Ice-Make: Lance!" He aimed and fired a volley of ice-lances toward Gloria's location, but as she flew, she spun her legs outward like a helicopter blade, coating herself in white lighting to blast against the attack as she made her way further down the tunnel.

"We cannot let her get away!" Freed stated.

As they continued to run, Dan glanced ahead to see several icicles hanging from the ceiling in the direction Gloria was heading to. "I've got an idea! Bring those icicles down!"

No time to debate, Lisanna transformed into her Dragon Take Over to unleash a wave of flames with a swipe of her hands; Gray shot a buzz-saw made of ice as well, while Freed swiped his sword to send waves of his Dark Ecriture magic. Just after they shot their attacks, Dan threw his lance like a javelin.

Gloria was able to easily avoid all four attacks, but she quickly noticed they were not aimed for her. She saw Lisanna's, Gray's, and Freed's respective attacks struck the ceiling ahead of her, causing the icicles to fall, along with several other pieces of debris. As they fell, Dan's lance struck one piece of it, causing its magic to spread all along the falling debris, where it grew in tremendous size. Gloria was forced to stop as the enlarged debris effectively blocked her path.

"We got her! Now she's trapped!" Gray smirked.

"Wow Dan, that was a great idea. Good work." Lisanna congratulated with a smile.

This caused Dan to suddenly appear by her side with hearts in her eyes. "Did I really impress you my sweet Lissy?" He gushed, causing Lisanna to groan.

"Save the affections for after the fight." Freed stated as the four of them surrounded Gloria. "Your way is blocked, and you are surrounded from all sides. Surrender now!"

Gloria smirked. "I have to admit, that was actually pretty clever. Unfortunately for you, I've already made it to my destination." Before anyone could ask what she was talking about, she raised both her daggers, channeling a vast amount of white lightning into them before plunging them into the ground. This caused the ground around all five of them to crack open and collapse.

The group was taken by surprise, but they were able to quickly recover and land on their feet, save for Dan who landed on his head. However, none of them were prepared for what they found themselves in. It appeared to be the ruins of a monastery, with the emblem of the Order of the Sword etched onto the walls.

"What the hell?! What is this place?!" Gray questioned.

"It appears to be a small shrine, and based on that symbol, it was owned by the original Order of the Sword." Freed guessed.

They heard Lisanna's gaps in shock and turned toward her. "Guys! Look!" She pointed to the far end of the chamber toward what appeared to be a throne, with a man sitting on it. But what stuck out the most about this man was the fact that he was completely encased in ice.

"Whoa! Is that a person?!" The recovered Dan looked in shock.

"He's completely frozen!" Gray stated in just an equal amount of shock.

"Got that right." Gloria said as she nimbly flipped over to land next to the frozen man. "This right here is a Celestial Wizard of the original Order of the Sword, one of those who helped to create the Infinity Clock." That took them by surprise. "While the others used Body Link magic to tie to their descendants, this one choose to freeze himself. He thought it would keep his end of the Link safe."

"Body Link magic?" Freed asked in surprise.

"What are you talking about?!" Lisanna questioned.

"All in due time." Gloria said as she walked behind the frozen Celestial Wizard, placing both her hands on the sides of his frozen head, prompting the four of them to ready themselves for a fight. "Though he is frozen, he's also still alive. It was likely the work of a Celestial Spirit he was contacted with, kept him in a form of statis."

"Let him go! Now!" Gray ordered.

"Oh, don't worry, he's not a hostage. He's, my target." Gloria revealed with a sinister smirk as she drove both her daggers into the frozen Celestial Wizard, channeling her white lightning through her weapons and into him before his entire frozen form shattered to pieces; much to everyone's horror.

"What have you done?!" Freed exclaimed.

"She… She killed him…!" Dan stuttered.

"You… why would…?" Lisanna also stuttered.

"And like that, the Link is severed. We're done here." Gloria said as she kicked several of the frozen pieces away.

"Like hell we are, you bitch!" Gray prepared another spell in rage, only for Gloria's white lightning form to shoot past him, slicing at his sides and causing him to yell in pain.

"Gray!" Lisanna was the first to run to his side, with everyone else close behind. However, this also allowed Gloria to escape back up through the hole she had made and leave them behind.

"It would seem we have failed in our mission." Freed cursed himself.


"You go boom, now!" Guttman stated as he unleashed another Rupture attack on Gajeel, causing him to explode with a surplus of magic power before falling down onto the ground.

"Steel Devil Bullet Barrage!" Lady aimed her pistols and fired a hail of magic bullets into Guttman's back, causing him to cry out in pain as he was actually knocked down.

"Hey! That hurt!"

Lady smirked. "My magic is made specifically to fight demons. What kind of creature are you again? Steel Devil Rage!" She fired a breath attack at him, scoring a direct hit that sent Guttman crashing into a piece of debris. However, Lady didn't have time to celebrate as her body was hit by a Rupture attack, causing her to scream in pain as her own magic exploded from the inside.

"Gotta admit, you sure pack a wallop." Guttman said as he picked himself up, covered in bruises and scratches from Lady's attacks. "But I'm no run of the mill demon. I'm Guttman the Cleaner, newest member of the Order of the Sword and a devoted follower of Sparda! Standing against someone who follows our great Dark Knight is a really bad sin and must be punished!" He let loose another Rupture attack on Lady, sending her flying into the air with another explosion.

"Hey! Don't take your eyes off me! Iron Dragon Club!" Gajeel's stretched iron pillar struck Guttman in the cheek as he turned around, sending him skidding back on his feet. "There's plenty more where that came from!" Gajeel ran forward to try and press the attack.

"Don't get cocky!" Guttman hit Gajeel again with another rupture attack, sending him up in another explosion. "I see what you guys are doing." He turned toward the charging Lady before sending another wave of Rupture at her, blasting her back. "One of you guys tries to distract me while the other attacks me from behind. Pretty clever, but I can just Rupture both of you at once!" He shot both his arms out to cause Gajeel and Lady's magics to rupture simultaneously, causing them to explode once more before they fell to the ground.

"This is fun and all, but why don't you guys give up?" Guttman told them. "You might have gotten some lucky shots in, but I still got plenty of gas in the tank. What about you?"

"Give up huh?" Lady chuckled as she tried to pull herself up first. "Sorry… but those words aren't part of my vocabulary."

Gajeel punched the ground as he gave a slight chuckle was bell before standing. "Yeah, back when I was with Phantom Lord, I would have just turned around and walked away." He spat some blood from his mouth but maintained his smirk. "But I'm a Fairy Tail wizard now, giving up ain't in my vocabulary either."

"Oh, and you were right about our plan to distract you." Lady added. "But we weren't trying to distract you from us. Isn't that right, Juvia?"

"Thanks for buying me some time, you two." Juvia's voice came from out of nowhere as Guttman was suddenly trapped in a sphere of water that came up from underneath him. "I've got him right where I want him."

"Oh no, it's a trap!" Guttman cried out in clear sarcasm. "Are you kidding? I can get out of this, easy!"

The semi-transparent form of Juvia's water body appeared in front of him with a confident smirk. "Go ahead and give it your best shot, demon!"

"Alright, fine! You're going boom, lady!" Guttman unleashed a Rupture on Juvia, only for the entire water sphere he was trapped in to light up.

"Fun fact about Juvia, her entire body is made out of water!" Gajeel told him. "Just like that bubble you're trapped in!"

"You basically turned your cell into a bomb with you still inside, dumbass!" Lady called out with a smirk as the entire Water Lock surged with the vibrant green energy of Guttman's own rupture power before it all exploded, sending Guttman flying upward where Gajeel had leapt to meet him.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Karma Demon Iron God Sword!" Gajeel struck Guttman with one of his most powerful attacks, in the form of a gigantic sword that left a huge trail across the ground where Guttman skidded back even further. Before Guttman had a chance to get up, Lady had brought her arms together, which merged and took the form of a giant rocket launcher and aimed it directly at his face.

"Hasta La Vista, blockhead. Steel Devil Bazooka!" She fired a large and point-blank magic rocket right into his face, causing a powerful explosion that shook up the entire area. When the dust settled, Guttman laid beaten in the center of a crater, covered in suit, bruises, with a long bleeding gash across his face.

Gajeel chuckled as he helped Juvia to her feet. "Ya know, you sounded a lot like your Devil Hunting boyfriend back there." He said to Lady.

"Keep talking Rivet-Head, less you wanna to get a face full of it too." She told him with an anime anger tick on her forehead.

Despite their bickering, Juvia couldn't help but smile. "We may have failed in our mission, but we did succeed in defeating our enemy…" She said somewhat weakly, still reeling from Guttman's Rupture magic. "Let us hope the others have had better results…"


Trish walked toward the scythe that belonged to the now-deceased Erigor as the blade was still embedded in the ground. She stared at it for a moment before gripping the handle and plucking it out. Trish swung the scythe around to get a good handle on it, before channeling her own lightning into it a she swung it toward a rock, sending a wave of lightning that cleaved through the rock with little issue.

"Hmm, it's no Devil Sword Sparda, but it'll do." Trish said as she sheathed the scythe on her back, claiming the weapon as her own. She then turned toward Bickslow, who kneeled over Erigor's body as he appeared to 'scan' it of sorts with his Seith Magic eyes. "Well? Anything?"

"No, nothing." Bickslow replied. "When somebody dies, their soul leaves their body, so I can't really see anything here. But we should have at least seen a trace or something of whatever they did to this guy."

"You said he gave up his soul to turn into that black-winged freak." Trish commented. "I've heard people say they have no soul, but can you literally abandon your own soul if you wanted?"

"I hear a whole bunch of rumors about some crazy dark magic that can make it happen, but I've never seen anything like that myself." Bickslow said.

Their attention was caught by a slight sniffle as they turned toward the side to see Wendy, huddled up against a boulder, holding her knees close to her person as her face couldn't be seen.

"Hey Wendy. You okay?" Trish asked as she and Bickslow walked over to her.

"I... I know what he was trying to do…" She began. "He… He was going to kill us… and I know he was evil but… did we… did I… did I… actually kill someone?" She questioned as she looked up toward the pair with a confused and emotional expression. That caused the two to wince, being reminded that despite being a Fairy Tail wizard and a Dragon Slayer, Wendy was still a young girl.

"Hey, come on, the guy was a psychopath." Bickslow tried to tell her first. "And he's done a whole lot of bad shit in the past too, even before joining the Oracion Seis. He even tried to off Master and a whole bunch of other people before. I'd say he got what's coming to him."

"I know that but… I… I just…" Wendy stuttered.

"You've never killed anybody before." Trish finished for her as she kneeled down to the young girl's level. "Believe me, Wendy. It's something you never get used to, and you shouldn't get used to it, especially if you're a kid. But sometimes… you gotta do what you gotta do. It sucks, but… it might also end up saving a whole bunch of innocent people, and that's what we're trying to do. The whole world is at stake here, billions of people could be at stake. I know it seems like a lot but you're not alone in this. Maybe there might come another time when you have to take somebody's life, it's not an easy thing to do, but it might be necessary. We have to keep going, or else it's for nothing. So perk up kiddo. You're a Dragon Slayer and a Fairy Tail wizard, right?" She asked as she lifted Wendy's face slightly, her fingers under the girl's chin.

Wendy sniffled a bit more before wiping the tears from her face as she tried to steel herself. "Right." She then stood up on her own two feet, causing Trish to smirk with pride at the girl's resolve.

"Hey, this is nice and all, but we got a serious problem." Bickslow got their attention. "We know the Order of the Sword has turned people into demons, and it even turned this guy into some kind of Fallen Angel or whatever the hell he was. If the Order's done this multiple times, then that would mean this guy isn't the only one."

Wendy and Trish soon came to the same realization he had. "Oh no!" The Sky Dragon Slayer gasped. "You don't think the rest of the Oracion Seis can do the same thing, do you?!"

"If they can…. We're in ever bigger trouble than we thought…!" Trish said with a scowl of frustration.


Meanwhile, back in the tomb beneath Kardia Cathedral, Agnus reached out toward Will Neville's coffin again, only to find the barrier was still up. "I can sense it. Only one remains now." Agnus said aloud. "And then… what we have strived towards… wished for… it shall all come to fruition."

"Hold it right there!" He glanced behind to see Alzack, having just arrived as he kept his guns trained on him. "I don't know what you're trying to do, but we're not going to let you get away with it!"

"Ah, brilliant. You must be of the Fairy Tail guild, I am Agnus." He bowed in a seemingly formal fashion. "I am glad you are here; I could use some company to pass the time as I wait for the final link to be severed. Perhaps an experiment?" With Agnus' attention focused on Alzack, he seemed ignorant of Bisca's presence as she placed herself at the top of one of the horse's heads, getting a good sniping position.

"Don't underestimate Fairy Tail, pal!" Alzack threw out his arms to bring out several different guns, all hovering in the air, as they shot at Agnus. However, the man simply crossed his arms as a trio of Gladii demons appeared out of nowhere to block the bullets as they flew around him in their bird-like forms, their bladed-wings blocking the bullets. "What…?!" Alzack looked in shock.

"What do you think of my Gladii?" Agnus asked as the three artificial demons hovered beside him. "They may not be as powerful as my Angelos, but even lesser artificial demons have their uses." He commented as he patted one of their heads with a proud smile on his face.

"So, you're the guy who's responsible for making all those monsters!" Alzack glared. "Let's see if they can protect you from this! Omni-Directional Formation!" Multiple magic guns appeared around Agnus before they opened fire; but Gladii proved quick enough to fly and block all the gunshots, almost as if Agnus were surrounded by a forcefield.

"That's it, babe. Just keep him pinned there." Bisca muttered as she aimed her rifle. Even with the Gladii moving around Agnus, she was able to find the perfect spot where she could get a headshot in. However, with her focused solely on him, it made her ignorant to a brief flash from the darkness behind her as a fourth Gladius shot itself at her, converting into its sword form as it sliced at her side, causing her to scream before falling off her perch.

"No! Bisca!" Alzack exclaimed as he saw his wife fall, however this also left him open for the three Gladii previously to go on the attack, and fly straight toward Alzack, forcing him to leap back as he drew a pair of pistols to defend himself.

"Another benefit of having low-leveled artificial demons, is that their lower power levels make them easier to conceal." Agnus said, his smirk still present. "They make excellent scouts and even decent assassins, depending on the o-o-o-opponent."

Bisca tried to pick herself up, using her own rifle to prop herself while also holding her bleeding side with Alzack leaping toward her. "Bisca, are you alright?!"

"I'll live…" She grunted as they came back-to-back, the four Gladii flying and surrounding them like vicious predators.

"Now then, if you find any sort of weakness these Gladii may have, I would appreciate you sharing them with me." Agnus said as he pulled out a clipboard and a pen to write some notes. "I'm not above receiving criticism; it leads to improvements in my research. So please be honest in the performance of my c-c-c-creations." He said as he snapped his fingers, prompting the four Gladii to go on the attack.


Byro gave a yell in pain as he was struck with a wave of acid from Gilver's katana, though he was able to use his Magic Nullification in time to eradicate the acid, it did leave him with some minor burns, but that left him open for Gilver to rush past him with his katana, slicing at his side before striking him at the back. This time, Byro was almost completely incased in ice, leaving him open once more for Gilver to strike the ground, sending another tremor in the way of the immobilized Byro before the ground beneath him collapsed.

"What's wrong? Don't tell me you're done already." Gilver taunted as he crouched near the edge of the crater, smirking toward the kneeling Byro in the center. "You put much more of a fight before against Dante, and this isn't because of that little cut I gave you." He pointed to the stab wound he inflicted on him. "You're not even gonna use your fancy Angelo form?"

"Curse you… villain…!" Byro glared, but Gilver saw a look of uncertainty in his eyes.

"Oh, I see. You're confused, aren't you?" The green suit wearing demon noticed. "Dante's little speech of morality in that crypt threw you for a loop, which is making you hesitate. But don't worry about any of that stuff. You just need to focus on carrying out the orders of His Holiness, Sanctus, like a good little errand boy."

"Say what?!" Byro exclaimed.

"Quit running your mouth and come fight me!" Natsu shouted as he tried to score a flaming fist attack on Gilver from behind.

"So eager to die, are you?" Gilver swung his katana in an arc, sending a wave of ice that completely encompassed Natsu before plunging his katana into the ice, sending a wave of tremors through it that caused it to explode and send Natsu flying and crashing into a hillside.

"Hold still you freak show!" Aquarius waved her urn to send a roaring wave in Gilver's direction. But Gilver swung his katana again to send a wave of acid to meet the water attack, causing it to dissolve and create a smokescreen and blind Aquarius, which Gilver used to rush her and impale the spirit with his katana.

"Aquarius!" Lucy exclaimed in shock as she saw her spirit fade away before Gilver turned his attention toward her. 'I know I talked a big game earlier but… this guy managed to take down Natsu and Aquarius! Heck, not even Dante could bring him down! What the hell am I gonna do?!"

Dante struggled to pick himself up. He cursed himself for letting Gilver taunt him and pushing his buttons; it made him sloppy and allowed Gilver to slice, impale, burn, electrocute, and lash out with nearly every from of attack he had. While Dante was certainly tough with over the top the endurance, even he wasn't invincible. His stamina was beginning to weaken, not to mention all the physical and emotional pain felt like it was pilling up all at once.

He felt himself being helped to his feet as Michelle put his arm over her shoulder to help him stand. "You've done enough, Cousin Dante. You need to rest."

"I can't… I can't let this bastard get away… he's going to kill everyone here…!" Dante stuttered as he hacked out some blood.

"But you can't fight him like this!" Michelle tried to tell him. "You may be the Son of Sparda, but you aren't invincible! Gilver's taken advantage of your physical and emotional weaknesses and now you can barely stand! I don't even think you can use your Devil Trigger if you're so weak!"

"The others can't beat him!" Dante stated.

"Well, what can you do?" She questioned. "Big Sis is in trouble!

Dante felt his rage swell up even more as he saw Lucy pull out both the Morning Star and the Fleuve d'etoiles and snap them both at Gilver, who only parried and batted them away with his katana. He was clearly toying with her, and that made Dante even more angry. All that rage he felt inside him, as well as his physical pain that seemed to burn inside him. They were like two opposing flames that raged against each other. However, once those flames made contact, something happened. Almost like a spark emerged from in-between them. A spark that began to pull those flames of rage and pain together and merge them into something else. The combined fire roared as it flowed through Dante's body. Suddenly, he felt an enormous swell of unfamiliar power coarse through his being. He wasn't sure what it was, but he was going to use it to protect his friends and family.

Lucy was kicked down to the ground by Gilver, who raised his katana to cut her down. "So long, blondie!"

"LUCY!" Natsu shouted as he tried to run in and help as fast as he could, even Byro picked himself up from the crater to try and fight this villain. However, a flash of red suddenly appeared in-between Lucy and Gilver before a dark red light exploded outward, forcing everyone to cover their eyes. Once the light faded, everyone, even Gilver, looked in shock to see what was standing before them.

Standing protectively in front of Lucy was Dante, but he looked completely different from either his human or his Devil Trigger form. Most of his lower body, including his trench coat, was surrounded by a black aura; while his upper body appeared to be encased in glowing dark red armor of sorts that appeared to be made out of demonic energy. A bright yellow spark shined in the center; his 'armor' took the form of thick gauntlets on both his arms, large and vibrant spikes along his sides and shoulders, with a helmet on his head, two large spikes pointing backward almost like horns; the mask that completely covered Dante's face had four glowing yellow slits along each side, making eight total.

"Dante…?" Lucy looked toward him in surprise.

'Is that… a Devil Trigger…?' Natsu thought. 'No… it looks different, and it doesn't seem like he's that much stronger. So, what is it?'

"Dreadnaught!" The transformed state of Dante revealed, his voice now sounding in a high-pitched demonic tone. He then glared at the still-shocked Gilver. "Well? What are you waiting for you damn bastard?! Hit me! I dare you!"

Gilver's shocked face turned into a glare. "You idiot. Just because you got a fancy new transformation doesn't mean you can stand up to me! I'm your natural enemy, remember?!" He sliced his katana to throw a cyclone of flames Dante's way, but he stood still and allowed the flames to strike him. However, as they made contact, all the flames blasted away in separate directions away from him, as well as Lucy, much to everyone's surprise.

"What?!" Gilver shouted.

"My turn." Dante lunged Gilver, completely running Rebellion through, taking everyone by surprise before Dante lifted his sword to throw Gilver away, causing him to roll and skid across the ground. He tried to get up, only to see Dante rushing him again.

"Oh no you don't!" Gilver pointed his katana forward to send a bolt of lightning Dante's way. But like the flames before, the bolt bounced off Dante's 'armor' before he reached Gilver to raise Rebellion and strike him in the shoulder with enough force, the ground cracked and collapsed. Gilver desperately tried to unleash a tornado around him to push Dante back as he tried to pull himself up, holding his bleeding and gaping hole in his chest while his shoulder looked completely destroyed.

'What the hell is this?! Don't tell me he unlocked some new power in the middle of this fight!' However, Gilver was completely caught off guard by the sight of the transformed Dante simply walking through his tornado barrier, the razor-sharp winds bouncing off his armor like it were a gentle breeze. "You…. Just who do you think you are to do this to me…!?"

Dante got so close, that his concealed face was less than an inch apart from Gilver's before he gave his answer. "Your worst nightmare." He swung up on Rebellion again, with enough force that it sent Gilver flying, while also dispersing the tornado. Before he even had a chance to fall back down, Dante leapt up to swing Rebellion and send Gilver plummeting to the ground like a meteorite. Even upon impact, Dante wasn't done yet as he landed right on top of him and swung Rebellion at him in every method he could think of, trying to tear Gilver apart like raw meat before knocking him back with another powerful strike of Rebellion.

His suit completely tattered and covered in his own blood; Gilver barley got back up as he tried to fight back with every kind of attack his katana could unleash. Fire, ice, lightning, water, tremors, even his acidic powers, they were all useless as they bounced off Dante's Dreadnaught form like nothing. Suddenly Dante appeared in front of Gilver, Rebellion raised high.

"No… No… NO! NOT AGAIN!" Gilver screamed before Dante gave a demonic yell, bringing his mighty sword down on Gilver, who tried to block it with his katana, only for it to shatter upon impact just as the larger struck him with enough force and power, it left him in a large crater upon impact.

"Dante!" Lucy exclaimed with a smile, tears in her eyes.

"Hell yeah! That's how we do it!" Natsu exclaimed as he pumped his fist.

Red vapor began to leave Dante's form as his Dreadnaught armor vanished, revealing his humanoid form before he fell toward the ground. However, Michelle was able to catch him.

"Cousin Dante, that was amazing!"

"Yeah… was there ever any doubt…?" He tried his trademark smirk, but he appeared even more drained and weakened than before.

"Hey man, that was awesome!" Natsu said as he and Lucy ran up to him. "What the heck was that anyway?"

"Dreadnaught… I think…" Dante tried to describe it as best he could. "If I… take enough damage… my power can somehow combine it… with my demonic energy… and turn into armor…. I may not be able to feel any pain while it's up… but it really takes a lot out of me… so… I think I'm done."

Lucy smiled toward him. "Well don't you worry, Cous. Take a load off, you've earned it."

"Yes, don't you worry anymore, Cousin Dante." Michelle added. "I'll be by your side no matter what."


Modeus and Erza ran as fast as they could to try and catch up with Cobra. However, when they made it to their destination, which was at the borders of a small town that had its own church, they were shocked at what they found.

"We were too late…" Modeus said with grief and seriousness in his voice.

It was true. Several beaten bodies of all the Fiore soldiers laid scattered across the ground. Some twitched, which meant there were a few survivors. However, most of them were dead, which included a young woman, her Celestial Keys scattered across the ground, covered in several poisonous burns.

"This is why Cobra ran off… monster." Erza scowled.

"I don't see any sign of him." Modeus looked around. "He must have left the second his mission was complete."


Back in the tomb beneath Kardia Cathedral, the eyes of all the horse statues have lit up as the magic shield surrounding Will Neville's coffin suddenly vanished, much to Agnus' delight.

"It is done! The last of the links have been severed!" He stated with a grin, holding out one hand to call one of his Gladii to him, which took up its sword form once it touched his palm. Alzack and Bisca both laid cut up and beaten on the ground as they weakly looked up with glares, the other three Gladii circling above them to make sure they stayed down.

Agnus brought the Gladius sword down onto the coffin, shattering it and everting inside in one stroke, leaving only a skull that belonged to Will Neville that hovered in the air briefly, revealing Body Link markings before they vanished as Agnus took the skull into his hand.

"Humans… They are but stubborn and foolish. It takes a journey to Hell for them to accept and praise their God." He then crushed the skull in his grasp. "A fact that tickles irony's judgement." He blew the skull-dust from his hands. "And now that journey, is about to begin! For the full and terrifying power of the Infinity Clock has been unleashed!"


"Soon it shall blanket the entire world!" The mad Archbishop of Zentopia exclaimed frantically, hundreds of lit candles burned all around him. "The chaos that was once sealed has been set free! It will be unleashed on an unsuspecting world! And our Savior will deliver his divine judgement!" He let loose an insane cackle.


The Infinity Clock began to glow a bright golden light, much to the delight of Sanctus and Midnight. "It is done!" Sanctus laughed. "The Infinity Clock's full powers have been unsealed!"

"Quickly, we must merge it with the Savior!" Midnight stated as he and Sanctus aimed their hands directly toward the glowing Infinity Clock, channeling their own respective powers into it through the crests they and their comrades have placed on it. The glowing light of the Infinity Clock then turned somewhat intangible as it hovered backwards towards the giant statue, revealed to be known as the Savior before it phased directly into its chest.

Once the Infinity Clock was merged, its unleashed power coursed through the veins of the titanic artificial demon. Its blue gemstones on its chest and forehead glowed, as did its eyes a blood red before the statue began to move. It slowly raised its hands and lifted its face to face the sky before its mouth opened with a heavenly roar. In-between its palms, a brilliant golden orb formed before it shot a beam of the same kind of energy directly into the sky. Instantly, the sky turned blood red as black clouds began to form.

The dark red sky and black clouds spread all across Fiore as every single person looked up in clear horror and dread, an ominous feeling setting in for them. Wizards across the land, and anyone who could use magic power, could especially feel it. They felt the malevolent and chaotic power through the air.

Even the people in Fortuna were feeling more than a little anxious. Several were already starting to panic in the streets as families tried to take their children inside.

From outside the medical ward, where Credo had managed to deliver Mary, he glanced up toward the sky with a complicated expression. "They've done it. The Links have been severed, the Infinity Clock released, which means the Savior has been completed."

While that was his goal from the beginning, the fact that his sister, as well as Nero, Coco, and so many other innocent people were now at the center of it all did not give him the feeling of satisfaction he had expected when he agreed with the plan in the beginning.


"Nero…?" Coco was more than a little scared as the two of them looked toward the sky.

"Yeah, I feel it." Nero said with his scowl, his demonic arm glowing brightly, like it was resonating with the vast demonic presence that filled the atmosphere. "And Kyrie is right in the center of it!"

"What do we do?!" Coco questioned.

Nero said nothing, but that didn't stop him from clenching his fists as he looked at the darkened sky again with a determined expression. 'Kyrie, I promise I'll stop this! I'll save you! No matter what!'


"What the hell?!" Max exclaimed as Erza and Modeus regrouped with him, Evergreen, and Sugarboy.

"Do you all feel that?" Evergreen asked, her voice shaking with fear. "That horrible malevolence."

"I do and it's making me shake, baby." Sugarboy said as his legs shook.

"The Infinity Clock… I fear it has been unleashed." Modeus said.

"What are we going to do now?" Erza wondered aloud, her own eyes shaking as well.


"That's a lot of demonic power." Trish said as she, Bickslow, and Wendy looked toward the sky as dark lightning bolts danced across the black clouds.

"The air… it feels… dark. Twisted…" Wendy didn't even bother to hide her terror. "Does this mean… the Infinity Clock…"

"Looks like we got another doomsday on our hands…" Bickslow commented.


"That can't be good…" Dan said as he, Gray, Freed, and Lisanna had made it out of the ice cave to see the sky transform as well.

"Do you feel that overwhelming power?" Freed asked.

"Guess we're looking at the end of the world… again." Gray said, trying his best to keep his cool, even though his hands wouldn't stop shaking.

'Natsu… Lucy… Happy… everyone… please be careful.' Lisanna thought with worry.


"Well that sure as hell ain't good." Gajeel said as he, Lady, and Juvia also looked toward the darkened sky.

"You won't be able to stop what's coming!" Guttman's telepathic voice got their attention. The trio looked back towards the injured demon as he crawled up from his crater. "Not even the Dark Knight Sparda himself could stop it, so what are a bunch of pesky guild folk like you gonna do?"

"What the hell are you guys planning?!" Lady exclaimed, glaring at the demon. "What do the Order of the Sword and Oracion Seis want with this power!?"

"I don't know, I didn't ask." Guttman revealed. "It's not like I need to know anything, really. His Holiness said it, this was all for the will of Sparda! For the birth of a new and pure world, the old one must burn!"


"Look at the sky, you guys! It just turned nighttime, but it was daylight a second ago!" Happy exclaimed as he, Carla, Panther-Lily, and Samuel flew through the skies.

"It appears we are too late!" Samuel stated. "The Infinity Clock's seal has been broken!"

"That must mean the others have failed as well." Carla said with defeat in her voice.

"We need to get back to the guild quickly!" Panther-Lily stated. "This battle isn't over yet!"

"Aye sir! We gotta meet everyone else so we can fight back!" Happy exclaimed as the four Exceeds flew as fast as they could.


"Ah man, now what?!" Natsu exclaimed as he and everyone else around him looked towards the darkened sky.

"The Infinity Clock has been activated." Byro revealed.

"Shit…!" Dante cursed, still weak as Michelle had to support him to keep him from falling over.

"We gotta do something!" Lucy stated.

"I am afraid, I cannot help you with that." Byro said as he turned toward the group. "I've been ordered by Sanctus, the current leader of the Order of the Sword, to bring you to him… Lucy Heartfilia."

"What?!" Dante and Natsu both questioned.

"The leader of the Order?" Lucy also questioned. "What could he possibly want with me?!"

"I don't quite understand it either, but it's my duty to follow orders so please come with me." Byro said in a tone indicating that he didn't like it, but he felt he had no choice in the matter.

"So, you're still a dog… huh?" The weakened Dante glared.

"You're not taking her anywhere!" Natsu was more than ready to fight back, so was Lucy.

"I couldn't care less what that guy wants, especially after everything the Order put us through!" She stated. "How about instead I go see him with rest of Fairy Tail behind me, and we tear his whole place to the ground! Look at where we are?! It's the end of the world for crying out loud!"

"Indeed, it is." A new voice spoke up, getting everyone's attention as they turned toward the body of Gilver, which began to shake and twitch, almost as if something was moving inside it. "This world is coming to an end. But unlike with Nirvana, there will be nothing that can stop us."

Suddenly, the spine of Gilver broke out from underneath the skin of the body, much to everyone's shock, especially Dante's.

"What the hell…?" He muttered.

However, once the blood and body parts fell off, it was revealed that the so-called spine was actually a stick, which traveled toward the back of Gilver's head. The head itself broke apart in bloody fashion as the end of the stick was revealed to be a sentient skull with a crystal ball in its mouth, and colored feathers decorated all over. Natsu and Lucy recognized it immediately.

"Not you again!" Lucy shouted

"That creepy talking stick!" Natsu remembered him.

"Who or what the heck is that thing?!" Dante questioned.

"Oh right, we've never been formally introduced have we, Son of Sparda? My name is Klodoa, I'm the seventh member of the Oracion Seis. It's a pleasure to meet you." He introduced himself.

"Wait… hold on, were you inside Gilver this whole time?!" Natsu questioned.

"The answer is both yes and no." Klodoa explained. "You see, you did indeed kill Gilver the first time you fought him, Dante. However, the Order was able to recover his body, as well as my own remains thanks to the remnants of the original Oracion Seis. Both of our remains were utilized in the Ascension Ceremony, the process of which is what turns people into their Angelo forms. As a result, both mine and Gilver's consciousness were merged into one being. So, you could say he was resurrected in a way. But once you defeated him, I was able to manifest myself and emerge from his corpse."

"Well, that's not messed up or anything." Dante commented. 'So, this Ascension Ceremony is how they're doing it?' He glanced at Byro, remembering when he achieved his Angelo form in their battle in the underground city.

"Wait a minute… if you're the seventh member…?" Lucy did a quick mental count; including Gilver, there was also Midnight, Gloria, Erigor, Racer and Cobra; which made a total of six. "Aren't you short a person?"

"There's no need to hide the truth any longer. The time has come to reveal yourself! Shed that disguise you've been hiding behind, and show these 'friends' of yours who you really are!" Klodoa spoke to Michelle.

"What?!" Dante questioned as Michelle still kept him propped up, a blank yet sad look forming in her eyes.

"You mean Michelle?!" Lucy didn't buy a word of it. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard! If you're trying to confuse us, it's not going to work this time, stickman! That girl is Michelle Lobster, she's family to me and Dante! There's no way that she'd…"

*PIERCE!*

Lucy and Natsu's pupils both shrank, even Byro was caught off guard. The pale and horrified face of Dante, that had blood dripping from his mouth, gazed down in shock toward the sword with a rose-pattern on it, piercing through his chest, having been literally stabbed in the back. And the one that was holding the sword, was none other than Michelle herself.

"M… Michelle…?" He looked back with a shocked and horrified expression as he saw the tears running down her face

"I'm sorry…. I really do love you… Cousin Dante." She said through tears before her whole body began to glow in a vibrant dark violet light. The light disappeared and she had taken on a completely different appearance. Gone was her formal attire; now she wore a strapless shirt made entirely out of dark green leaves and petals, along with dark green gloves that reached the top of her arms. She also had a short wide skirt, also made of dark green leaves and petals, with a set of pouch-like boots. She also had light green thorny vines on her left arm and legs. Her hair was let loose as she had a rose covering her right eye, almost like an eye patch. But her facial expression was what stuck out the most; contrary to her previous happy and emotional expression, her face now seemed to lack any kind of emotion as well.

"You see? I am truly a member of the Neo Oracion Seis: the mistress of deception. My name is Imitatia."

Tears were already forming in Lucy's eyes as she felt her heart shatter in an instant. As for Dante, he need only look at Imitatia's face before a memory came back to him. It was the memory of when he first met Trish, and how she shot him in the back and betrayed him for her creator and then-master, Mundus.

"M… Michelle… what are…?" Dante stuttered, still not over the shock, or the fact that she still had her sword running through his heart, literally and figuratively.

"We needed you and all your friends to gather the parts of the Infinity Clock and assemble it for us." Imitatia revealed. "That's why I took the form of 'Michelle Lobster' in order to gain your trust."

"How…. How could you…?" Lucy cried. "I…. we treated you like family…"

"We had to do what was necessary to create our new world." Imitatia continued. "We of the Neo Oracion Seis attacked the churches to sever the Body Links that kept the Infinity Clock's power sealed even upon its reassembly, while Sanctus and his inner circle within the Order of the Sword built their army of Angelo soldiers, as well as constructed the Savior which was needed to control the Clock's devastating and cataclysmic power. With all the tasks completed, we only need two pieces left. You, Big Sister Lucy; and you, Cousin Dante."

She yanked her sword from him, causing him to stumble till he fell to the ground. He weakly turned toward her as a rose-like shield manifested in her other arm.

"That new Dreadnaught power of yours is certainly impressive, and it did catch me by surprise." Imitatia admitted. "However, as you said, it expended all that was left of your demonic power; that along with your physical stamina expended in the battle against Gilver, now means you can barely stand. Which makes this all the easier."

She launched her shield, which was connected to her arm through a series of thorny vines, which struck Dante and sent him flying into the air. She then redirected her shield to strike across Dante multiple times till he finally lost consciousness and fell to the ground in a heap.

"Dante!" Lucy exclaimed as she ran toward her downed cousin. "Why…? Why is all this…?" She was still not over her initial shock as tears continued to flow down her face.

Natsu then turned with a growl towards Imitatia. "You were just pretending to be our friend this whole time?!" Both his fists lit on fire as his rage broke to the surface. "I'm gonna beat you to a pulp!" He rushed her with a fiery-fist, which Imitatia blocked and parried with her shield before slicing across his chest with her sword, bringing him to his knees, and giving her an opening to swerve behind and bring the hilt of her sword to the back of his neck and knock him out as well.

"You seem to be rather important to Lucy, and even Dante. For that reason, Natsu, I will spare you." Imitatia said before walking toward the heartbroken Lucy. "It's time to go, Big Sister."

"Michelle… Please… just… just tell me why…!?" She continued to cry as she tried to stand up and face her. "Why are you doing this!?" Her only response was the hilt of the sword being driven into her gut, knocking the wind out of her and knocking her unconscious with the rest of her teammates.

"You'll learn soon enough." Imitatia said as Lucy fell to the ground beside her.

"That's my girl!" Klodoa cheered for her.

Byro couldn't contain his look of surprise. He remembered that girl from the underground city; even though she didn't seem like a fighter, she still supported the rest of Fairy Tail, or at least it seemed like it. Even if they were his enemies at the time, seeing a trusted ally betray their comrades was something he did not expect.

"Byro." She got his attention. "Don't tell me you forgot Sanctus' orders. Take Lucy Heartfilia back to him at once, I'll see to Dante myself."

"You are in no position to tell me what to do!" Byro exclaimed. "My loyalty lies with the Church of Zentopia…!"

Suddenly, a golden object was thrown to his face. Once it hit the ground, he recognized it immediately. "But… that belongs to the Archbishop!"

"Even with the Order of the Sword and Zentopia now merged together; the Archbishop now stands as Sanctus' equal, so he still holds some power." Klodoa explained. "And whoever holds his gold seal wields the same authority as the Archbishop himself."

"There is no point in denying it any longer." Imitatia said. "Sanctus and his inner circle have indeed been working alongside my comrades and I, and since he is now in power over the merged organizations, you now work for me. Sanctus has ordered that Lucy Heartfilia be brought to him as quickly as possible. However, he has also tasked me with Dante's retrieval." She snapped her fingers, revealing a quartet of Bianco Angelos that descended from the sky and approached the downed Dante and even Natsu.

With great reluctance, Byro kneeled before her. "Very well… as you wish." However, in this moment especially, everything Dante had told him in their previous battle rang in his head louder and louder. Despite the fact that he was still bound by oath to follow the Archbishop of Zentopia, there was a part of him that wanted nothing more than to rebel right here and now, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Two Bianco Angelos picked up the unconscious Dante by his arms, while the other two did the same for Natsu. "Please make sure they are kept apart from each other during our travel." Imitatia told the Angelos. "Bring them in through separate areas of Fortuna, same goes with Lucy."

"We're bringing the Salamander along too?" Klodoa questioned as Byro brought out Kanaloa, which had already begun to grow to its enormous size as he picked up the unconscious Lucy in his arms. "We're only supposed to bring in Sparda's son and the Heartfilia girl."

"That may be so, but he is still a powerful Dragon Slayer." Imitatia said. "I imagine Agnus would want to study a rare specimen such as him. We may even put him through the Ascension Ceremony as well and make him a living weapon unlike any other we've produced so far."

"Oooh, now that sounds fun! Alright, I'll allow it. Let's go!" Klodoa said as he and Imitatia mounted Kanaloa along with Byro, who still carried the unconscious Lucy before the giant octopus leapt away. Klodoa looked back to see the Angelos fly off with Dante and Natsu in separate directions. "Hmm, I could have sworn there were four of those pesky Fairy Tail wizards… Oh well."

However, Klodoa was not wrong. Elfman had regained consciousness and hid behind a large boulder to see the enemy fly off with his comrades. He picked up the communication card that was hidden in his pocket with a scowl before reporting what he had just seen, having overheard everything.

"Guys… shit just got real now."

Done.

So yeah, things have just gone from bad to worse. The Infinity Clock has been fully activated and has now merged with the Savior. The purpose for its creation is to control the power of the Infinity Clock, which couldn't previously be controlled. The Savior acts as something of a lens to filter, mediate, and control the chaotic and reality distorting powers of the Infinity Clock; and since it's now under the full control of the Neo Oracion Seis and Order of the Sword, the world is in grave danger. Yeah… the Savior is now even stronger than it was in the canon DMC4 game. It's practically a walking apocalypse!

It also seems Dante has unlocked a new power: his Dreadnaught form. It's loosely based off his Royal Guard style from the games, with hints of Meloidas' Full Counter magic from the "Seven Deadly Sins" franchise. (I mixed it up so that it feels more like an anime thing, rather than a video game). In this state, his demonic energy manifests a type of armor around his body that can temporarily shield him from damage, but it also drains his stamina quickly, so until he can master it, it's like a double-edged sword. It's also why he was able to be captured by the enemy (that and the damage he took from his fight against Gilver didn't help either). I know it seems like I might be 'de-powering' Dante, but remember, even in the games, Dante is NOT invincible. He is capable of being overpowered and defeated, there is a clear limit to the damage he can take. He's not invincible. I hope that makes sense.

Oh, and Trish has a new weapon. She has claimed Erigor's scythe as her own.

But even more so, the real identity of Michelle Lobster has been revealed: Imitatia of the Neo Oracion Seis, a spy who infiltrated Fairy Tail's ranks to get everything to where we are now. Dante, Natsu, and Lucy have all been captured and are on their way to Fortuna as we speak. But, Nero and Coco are there as well, and there's no way they're going to sit on the sidelines and do nothing, especially with Kyrie still in the enemy's grasp. Now you see why the enemy wanted her. Her Arc of Seraph, specially its healing and protection powers, should keep those they plan to use as the core for the Savior alive as the overwhelming powers of the infinity Clock may be too much for their physical bodies to handle (take a guess as to who they intend to serve as the core).

How will our heroes bounce back from this? What is their plan to counter-attack? The time has come to take the fight straight to the enemy's doorstep! Find out what battles lay next on Fairy May Cry!