Hey everyone, welcome back to Fairy May Cry. We got ourselves one particular battle that I've been wanting to write for some time. Oh, who am I kidding? I am very excited to be writing all the upcoming battles in this arc, but this is one that I'm sure you'll find particularly satisfying.
And this chapter just so happens to be posted on my birthday week (one day before to be specific). Pretty cool, huh? So, happy birthday to me. :)
Now, with all that being said, let's get started!
Creative Battle
The night before the start of the final match for the Grand Magic Games, the team that consisted of Gray, Erza, Nero, Juvia, Gajeel, and Laxus had all gathered at the Bar Sun to discuss their plan for winning alongside the spirits of Sparda and Mavis.
"So that Rufus-guy, what's his deal?" Nero asked.
"Memory-Make." Sparda explains. "To put simply, he takes the memory of every form of magic that he knows and he can mix-and-match it however he wants. For example, after seeing what Natsu could do, as well as Jura's own earth magic, he is capable of combining the basic elements of fire and earth into an attack of his choosing. But that's not even the most dangerous aspect of that magic."
"Oh? And what would that be?" Erza asked.
"He can erase the memories of his opponents." Sparda revealed, much to the group's surprise. "Or rather, he can erase the memory of his enemy's spell after he sees them use it. Another example, if he sees Gajeel use his breath attack, Rufus could erase Gajeel's memory of that specific spell, rendering him incapable of using it."
"Well, that's just cheap." Gajeel stated.
"Is there a way to get the memory back?" Laxus asked.
"If Rufus is defeated, all the memories he erased will be restored." Sparda revealed. "But that's easier said than done."
"Indeed." Juvia seemed to agree. "If what you say is true, he essentially has limitless attacks at his disposal."
"But that doesn't mean he's invincible!" Gray stated as he stood up from his seat to face the spirits of the guild's first master and Dark Knight. "Let me be the one to take him down!"
"I'm sorry Gray, but according to my calculations, you are at a significant disadvantage in a fight against him." Mavis said with reluctance. "It's unlikely you'll defeat him in a one-on-one fight."
"I don't give a damn!" Gray exclaimed, getting all their attention. "I owe that guy a major thrashing… not just for what he put me through, but for what happened with Lucy! When that bitch was torturing her, he just laughed at it! There's no way in hell I'm letting him get away with that! You both know I'm a proud Fairy Tail wizard, so let me fight him!"
Mavis looked seriously and could see the resolve in Gray's eyes. She glanced at the spirit of her adoptive father, who gave her a slight nod. "Very well."
"But Gray, if you insist on fighting him, then I hope you take this piece of advice into consideration." Sparda said as he walked directly to the Ice-Make Wizard. "No matter how powerful a form of magic may be, no matter how strong a weapon is made, every one of them… every weapon or magic spell… they all share the same imperfection that can never be erased no matter how well you train to master them."
"What's that?" Gray asked.
Sparda looked him dead in the eye as he gave him his answer. "It's user."
Present Day
The audience watched from the lacrimatrons as the two opposing Maker Magic users met and were ready to face off. "Here we go!" Chapati announced. "Gray and Rufus have met up in the library, and I have a feeling they are not gonna keep quiet!"
"Two different types of Maker Magic going against each other…" Levy looked with concern.
"Gray better watch out, the guy really worked him over the last time they fought." Elfman pointed out. "He's tougher than he looks."
"You guys knew they were gonna fight each other, didn't you?" Romeo asked Mavis and Sparda.
"Yes, in fact Gray requested that he face Rufus by himself." Mavis answered.
"Then that means he's gonna pummel that cocky jerk!" Warren stated.
"I suppose you gave him a full-proof strategy, right?" Max asked Mavis with confidence.
"I offered to do so, but he said no." Mavis revealed, much to everyone's surprise.
"No?! What do you mean he said 'no'?!" Patty questioned. "Is he crazy?!"
"Gray said he wanted to win this fight on his own." Sparda clarified. "Though I gave him one piece of advice, I can only hope it'll be enough."
Gildarts sighed. "That guy… he's got pride frozen into his very core."
"Well, there's nothing we can do now at this point." Morrison said.
"Right. But I have confidence that our boy will pull through." Makarov said without a shred of doubt in his voice. "He's never let us down yet."
Sparda happened to glance towards the Sabertooth box, where Frosch watched with concern, while Vergil just stared up at the lacrimation with crossed arms and an unreadable look on his face.
In the library, Gray stared down his opponent, who sat casually in a chair in the middle of the library with an open book in his hand. 'Sparda told me that the weakness to every kind of magic or weapon is it's user.' Gray thought. 'That means I need to find Rufus' Achilles heel. Ain't no way he's unbeatable. If Dante could take down Vergil, then I can take this guy out too.'
"Before we begin, allow me to ask you a question." Rufus requested. "Why is it that Dante and the Salamander chose not to participate? After their recent victory over Vergil and our Twin Dragons, I was rather hoping to face them in battle myself."
"Maybe you can tell me the same thing about Vergil." Gray replied. "Kinda shot yourself in the foot if you benched your top guy."
"I'm afraid the answer to that question is confidential within Sabertooth." Rufus answered. "Now, please answer my previous question."
Gray smirked as he took his titular stance. "I got a deal for ya. Beat me, and I'll give you your answer."
A condescending smirk formed on Rufus' face as he closed the book he was reading. "I accept your terms. This will be over quickly."
"Ice-Make: Lance!" Gray attacked first, sending a volley of ice-lances straight at Rufus, who leapt from his chair before it was obliterated by the attack.
"Memorized." Rufus said upon landing, where Gray attacked again.
"Ice-Make: Hammer!" He created a large ice mallet above Rufus to try and smash him, but just as before, Rufus backflipped into the air to avoid the devastating impact.
"Memorized." Rufus said once more as he landed.
"You keep saying 'memorized' over and over. So, you already know those spells, right?" Gray asked. "You can copy whatever spell you see, you mix and match it all to use against your opponent."
"Oh? You know of my magic then?" Rufus asked with an amused smile.
"Let's just say I got a friend who knows a thing or two about all that old stuff." Gray commented with a smirk.
"Interesting. Then perhaps you'd like a demonstration of my power?" Rufus offered. "Let's see… how about the memory of your ice, combined with that of Orga's lightning? Memory-Make: Sword of Frozen Black Lightning!"
Rufus raised his hand, generating a ball of light as a magic pattern appeared behind him, right before he brought his hand down like a sword. This resulted in a long cluster of ice-spikes being sent in Gray's direction, which he tried to leap out of the way to avoid, only to get zapped by the black lightning that shot out from the tips of the ice-spikes.
"Whoa! What was that?!" Patty exclaimed.
"He copied Gray's ice, while infusing it with lightning!" Makarov uttered in surprise.
"On one end, it's a double-attack, but it can also be used as a two-stage." Gildarts narrowed his eyes.
"His power's crazy!" Max exclaimed.
"He can come up with new and complicated spells on the fly?!" Warren questioned.
"It's hard to believe, but it seems like it's true!" Levy said with worry.
"That's one of the manliest powers ever!" Elfman commented.
"Memory-Make: Shrine of the Stormy Wind Fang!" With a swipe of his hand, Rufus erected a large number of tornados, all of which were barreling down on his opponent.
"Is that all you got? Ice-Make: Shield!" Gray had created an ice-shield in an attempt to protect himself.
"I see… memorized. But soon… forgotten." The second Rufus' said all those words, Gray's ice-shield vanished, much to his surprise right before he got engulfed by all the tornados, which combined into a single twister before blasting Gray straight into the wall.
'Damn it… looks like he can make me forget my spells.' Gray thought as he tried to push himself back up. 'I still remember my lance and hammer, guess he felt they weren't worth erasing.'
"Oh no…" Juvia gasped as she saw Gray getting knocked down on a nearby lacrimation.
"What a move! Rufus unleashes a tense assault that puts Gray on the floor!" Chapati commentated.
"Why did Gray's shield disappear?" Romeo asked.
"Because Rufus' Memory-Make allows him to erase the memory of his opponent's spell the moment he sees it." Sparda answered.
"You're kidding…!" Elfman said in disbelief.
"First he can mix-and-match any spell he remembers, now he can erase someone else's?" Levy looked with worry. "That's actually pretty terrifying."
"So that means Gray can only use an attack one time before the guy takes it away." Warren realized.
"We're in trouble, you guys. Gray's at a major disadvantage." Max said.
"He already knows." Mavis spoke up. "Daddy and I told him what Rufus was capable of, but he still insisted on doing it himself. I don't quite know what his plan is, but I do know that he wouldn't be taking such a risk without some kind of plan in mind."
Vergil himself continued to watch from his spot, unmoving, and his expression unchanging. It was nearly impossible to tell what he was thinking, but he would not be taking his eyes off this battle for a moment.
Gray was already back up on his feet and looked ready to keep going.
"Wow. Even after such a brutal thrashing, Gray looks like he's ready for more." Chapati observed.
"That boy is a tough one, that's for sure." Yajima said.
"He's gotta be after getting hit with all that." Mato added.
Rufus chuckled as he saw Gray standing. "You were able to stand even after getting hit with two of my own attacks? I must admit, you're certainly stronger than you appear." He happened to notice a few books that had fallen to his feet from the scuffle. "Hmm? What is this?" He used telekinesis to lift one of the books into his hand. "Oh, this is the Book of Heaven's Magic Compendium." He soon telekinetically lifted all the books on the floor and opened their pages to skim through their content. "And these look to be… the Tome of the Abyss and Advance Dark Sorcery. Yes. The Secrets to Subliminal Percipients! Ancient Witchcraft! Ha! These are most excellent discoveries!"
"I get it." Gray said. "You didn't come to this place to hide." He looked around at the books scattered across the library. "These are all spell books. This library is basically your armory."
"Well, aren't you the perceptive one?" Rufus let the books drop. "All memorized."
"He did not just memorize all those books, did he?" Patty asked with lowered eyelids.
"Is that something he can do with memory magic or whatever?" Morrison asked Sparda.
"No. Memory-Make does not strengthen or weaken the user's ability to memorize content. That's up to the user himself." Sparda explained.
"So… he really can memorize all that?" Makarov asked in surprise.
"It seems he's also a speed reader." Sparda said in partial annoyance.
"Well, that's a pain in the ass." Gildarts groaned.
"It also means he has at least a hundred spells now added to his arsenal." Mavis pointed out.
"What a wonderful turn of events. I'm glad you haven't wilted like a flower in the cold." Rufus began. "It's thrilling. All of these songs of magic passed down for eons, forming a symphony inside my mind." He pressed his hand against his temple, his magic circle forming once again to form a large ring around himself and Gray, with an icy mist appearing inside said ring. "But its melody will be of my own composing. Dispirit memories juxtaposed in ways never before dreamed of. Taking fragments from here and there to create something new. The spells I can now create are new versions of ancient magic!"
"Memory-Make: Ancient Ice Knights!" Rufus spell allowed him to materialize a dozen floating knight-like sculptures made entirely out of ice that hovered in the air around Gray. "Ancient magic possess such a unique splendor, does it not?" Rufus continued. "With proper training, one can forge soulless soldiers born of nothing but the drifting elements. However, this is a new twist. You could call it a collaborative work, for it would not be possible without the memory of your ice magic."
The ice knights then converged all on Gray, but he jumped into the air to avoid the thrusts of their weapons. "So, what if you can make up new spells?! You're not gonna win this just because you got more tricks than I do! Ice-Make: Death Scythe!" Having created a large ice-scythe in his hands, Gray used it to slice apart two ice knights upon his descent to the ground.
"Forgotten." Rufus snapped his fingers again, causing the ice-scythe in Gray's hand to vanish, as did his memory of the spell used to make it. This, in turn, left him open to get slashed by the spear-strike of one ice-knight and send him rolling across the ground. Gray looked up to see another ice-knight about to bring his sword down on him, but Gray pulled back both his feet and kicked the hand of one said knight to shatter it and swipe the sword as he jumped back up, and used that very same sword to cut the knight in half.
"Oh?" Rufus looked amused as he saw Gray use the stolen ice-sword to fight and battle the remaining nine ice knights. He shattered the head of one and swiped the sword from that fallen knight to dual wield before slashing to shatter two more. When another ice knight tried to attack on his side, Gray blocked the strike with one sword before bringing down the other to shatter that one before throwing one of his swords to break through two more in a row. The remaining three tried to surround him, but Gray spun around as he held the sword out to take them down in a single swipe.
"That's the problem with mindless soldiers, you can outthink them easily." Gray said with a grin. "Quality over quantity."
"Very well, then how about something a little more advanced? Memory-Make: Flashing Lightning Blade!" With a wave of his hand, Rufus had summoned a giant-like figure, its lower body trapped in ice while wilding a sword made out of lightning. It loomed over Gray before quickly brining down its weapon onto him, which Gray tried to block with his stolen ice sword, only for it to shatter as the attack struck, sending him up in an electrical explosion and knocking him hard into the ground.
"Whoa mama! Just when it seemed like Gray might make a comeback, Rufus has hit him extra hard!" Chapati commentated. "Does this mean he's down for the count?!"
Juvia continued to watch with worry as she saw Gray appearing to be on the losing end. She wanted more than anything to rush to his side and help him fight, but she resisted that urge.
'No! I mustn't lose faith! Gray will win this, I know he will! I must have faith in him! Faith in him and Master Mavis' plan.' Juvia thought before turning from the lacrimation and running further into the city, keeping an eye out for any possible opponents. 'You can win this Gray. You are the strongest person I know. Don't you dare give up.'
Despite being beaten down, Gray pulled himself back up and looked to see Rufus with more books floating around him. "Hmm, a rather fascinating interpretation. Memorized."
"Didn't anybody ever tell you how you're supposed to behave in a library?" Gray questioned as he put his hands to the ground. "You need to put those books back where you found them! Freeze!" His ice magic and a freezing whirlwind spreading out from his hands, Gray's power outstretched throughout the entire library, covering all the books, shelves, and walls in ice until the entire inside of the building was frozen over completely.
"Trying to lock down my armory? No matter, I already have enough at my disposal to eliminate a pest like you." Rufus said. "And what better way to deal with an annoying ice wizard than with an inferno? Memory-Make: Storm of the Sun!" Outstretching his hand, Gray was blasted and engulfed by a whirlwind that mixed flame and wind.
"This attack was inspired by Dante with his dual Devil Arms of fire and wind that I saw him use when he fought Vergil." Rufus explained as he continued to keep up the attack on Gray. "I combined the flames I memorized as well as that of wind from your Dragon Slayer companions. I hope you do appreciate the irony in that it was your friends' technique that was used to defeat you."
"No fair! He's using Wendy and Natsu's power!" Patty exclaimed. "Use your own, you cheater!
"Come on Gray! Do something!" Romeo called out.
Sparda, Mavis, Gildarts, and Makarov all continued to watch with serious expressions, as did Vergil from his spot, and even Kurenai, Bruni, Aurora, and Gandelina from their location in the arena.
"This is turning out to be a completely one-sided battle!" Chapati observed. "Looks like Gray might be down for the count this time!"
"He certainly put up one heck of a fight though, that's for sure." Mato commented.
"Hold on… let's not count him out just yet." Yajima had a feeling that something was going to happen.
Rufus continued to chuckle as he pressed the fire and wind attack on Gray. "I commend you for lasting this long and enduring so many of my attacks. But I'm afraid your song is about to reach it's end. Now I…"
*FLASH!*
A suddenly wave of cyan-colored magic energy spread out all over the whirlwind of an inferno, freezing it solid in its tracks, much to Rufus' surprise. He looked at the very center of his attack to see Gray still standing, his hands crossed over each other, having unleashed his raw magic power to counter his enemy's.
'Did he… freeze my magic?' Rufus, for the first time in this tournament, was caught off guard.
"I'm not done yet." Gray glared before unleashing another all-encompassing wave of his ice, creating a blizzard-like attack that covered the already-frozen library in more ice, while also slightly pushing Rufus back.
"That's quite enough…." He growled slightly before aiming his fingers at Gray again. "Forgotten." However, the attack did not stop, much to Rufus' shock. "What…?"
"The downside to Rufus' ability, is that he can only make people forget specific spells." Sparda revealed. "He cannot do so to his enemy's entire magic or their internal reservoir of power. If he could, he would have done so already."
"And Gray can freeze his magic?" Levy asked in surprise.
"Bet he didn't see that one coming." Morrison grinned.
Rufus looked like he was running out of patience. "What a vulgar use of magic power. Begone! Memory-Make: Spear of Black Wind!" He chopped his hand to bring down a tornado that mixed wind and shadow magic on what appeared to be Gray…
Only for it to shatter and reveal an ice-sculpture of Gray, one that was wearing his own shirt, which also got torn up by the attack.
Rufus blinked in surprise as he saw the frozen head of the double roll to his feet. "A decoy? But where is…?"
"Ice-Make: Beowulf!" Before Rufus had a chance to turn around, an icy gauntlet had slugged him in the face with enough force to send him flying and crashing into a frozen bookshelf. Gray appeared to have quipped ice gauntlets and grieves on his hands and feet, and they appeared to be exact ice replicas of the Devil Arm that Dante has at his disposal.
"Whoa!" Max exclaimed.
"He hit him!" Warren also exclaimed.
Frosch gasped at what he saw while Vergil just raised an eyebrow.
"What just happened?!" Chapati questioned. "I barely even saw that!"
"It seems that Gray was using all that magic power to create a smokescreen to distract Rufus, allowing him to get in close and land a solid hit." Yajima assumed.
"That was quite the punch. It looks like it hurt too." Mato said.
"He didn't just freeze Rufus' magic, he was using that as cover!" Levy realized.
"Now that was a manly punch." Elfman smirked.
Makarov chuckled. "I knew our boy wasn't done yet!"
"Way to think on your feet, Gray." Gildarts grinned.
Gray slowly walked toward the downed Rufus, who struggled to pick himself up, all while keeping his Ice Beowulf quipped. 'No matter how strong a magic power or weapon is, they all share the same imperfection. Their user.' Gray remembered what Sparda told him as he thought back to all the fights he saw Rufus participate in throughout this tournament. 'I've seen this guy fight, he always attacks at a distance. And when somebody tries to get in close, he just disappears and runs away. That means, this guy can't handle close quarters combat.'
Rufus had struggled to pick himself back up, one hand on the icy wall for support as his legs shook, while the other was covering his face. He slowly looked to his hand and saw that there was blood, both from his mouth and the deep scratch on his face from where Gray punched him with his ice gauntlet.
"Y-You… y-you… a-actually… hit me…" Rufus stuttered.
"Damn right. And there's a whole lot more where that came from." Gray smirked before rushing Rufus again with another punch, only for Rufus' figure to vanish as Gray's gauntlet fist smashed further into the already devastated wall.
"I can't remember the last time somebody… hit me..." He heard Rufus' voice echo, but didn't seem to pick up his location, even with Rufus' figure slowly appearing quite a distance behind him.
"First time for everything…" Gray's eye glanced back. "Ice-Make: Arrow!" He quickly formed a bow-and-arrow construct out of ice and launched the arrow, which pierced Rufus' right side, much to his pain-inducing shock.
"No… impossible…" Rufus shook as he fell to the ground, feeling his side where blood was starting to come out. "My Afterimage… How can he…"
Gray let out a deep breath, the breath itself actually visible due to the cold. "Pretty chilly in here, huh?"
"I understand." Makarov said in realization. "All that ice from before… he wasn't just trying to cover the spell books…"
"He was turning the library into a meat locker." Gildarts finished as his grin only grew.
"So even if Rufus uses an afterimage, Gray can still see his breath!" Levy smiled.
"Gray not only realized Rufus' weakness in his overreliance on long-ranged combat, he turned what Rufus thought would be his own turf, into a place where Gray would have total advantage." Mavis observed.
"Creativity is more than just use of magic spells." Sparda said. "It's being able to use all your assets, turning the situation in your favor."
Gray grinned as he stood over the recovering Rufus. "Hey, where'd that cocky grin go? I told you I'd be the one to kick your ass, and I'm a man of my word."
"Y-you… you brute… you…!" Rufus shook in not only pain but also anger, something Gray noticed when he caught the look in his eye, which only caused Gray to grin even more as he found yet another weakness.
"Somebody's got a temper."
"Well, while the tables continue to turn for our Maker Wizards' duel, we got a rather explosive three-way battle erupting on the streets outside!" Chapati commentated.
"Kitten Blast!" Milliana shot out two spiraling energy attacks from her hands, straight to Dobengal and Rocker, both of whom jumped out of the way to avoid the attack before the latter went on the offensive.
"Drill 'n Rock!" Rocker's lower body spun around rapidly, allowing him to quickly close the gap between him and Milliana before throwing a punch in her direction, but she jumped up and onto a wall for the punch to miss and landed behind Rocker just as his attack stopped. She then extended her claws and tried to rush him, but Rocker crossed his arms to block the attack, the force of the strike pushed him back a bit, but he still remained standing.
Rocker looked at the scratches on his leather jacket and chuckled. "Oh man, you're one wild kitty cat. Can see Wally don't stop talking about you."
"Cats are loveable, but they can leave pretty nasty scratches." Milliana said eagerly.
"Such lowly animals should know their place." Dobengal appeared above them in the air, throwing a series of energy projectiles shaped like kunai at the pair. Though they did their best to dodge them, the kunai quickly exploded. The force of the blast further separated the two, and created a smokescreen to obscure the ninja-wizard's presence.
"You ain't hiding from me, ninja-boy! Drill 'n Rock!" Rocker spun his right leg like a drill and swung it at the smoke to clear it away, only to look in surprise as Dobengal wasn't there like he thought. "What the…?"
"Too slow." Dobengal had teleported behind him and ran him through with glowing rainbow-magic emitting from his hand, the beam piercing through Rocker. "I've avoided your vitals. You should consider yourself lucky this is only a tournament match. If you were my enemy, you would be dead."
Rocker fell to the ground, completely unconscious.
"And Rocker is down for the count folks! Team Quatro Puppy is out of the game!" Chapati announced.
"That also gives Sabertooth one more point, bringing their total to fifty-two points." Yajima said.
"Which means they are now tied for second with Mermaid Heel!" Mato added.
"That was a dirty trick!" Milliana pointed to Dobengal accusingly. "But given that you're from Sabertooth, I shouldn't be surprised."
"Victory is all that matters. How we go about achieving it does not matter in the slightest." The ninja-wizard replied. "Now, it is your turn to fall." He teleported himself directly behind Milliana and attempted to pierce her in the back the same way he did Rocker.
*SNAG!*
Suddenly, his lunging arm was entangled by an orange rope. "What…?"
"I saw that coming a mile away." Milliana said as she had her left arm held back over her head, one of her magical tubes outstretching from a magic circle in said hand to ensnare him by the wrist. She then pulled on the rope to pull Dobengal up and deliver a kick to his chest. "You can't use magic once my rope ensnares you! There's no way I'll let myself lose to someone like you!"
She tried to deliver another kick, but Dobengal outstretched his left leg to block and parry Milliana's kick before delivering a palm strike to her abs, knocking the wind out of her and momentarily distracting her, allowing Dobengal to reach for a physical kunai in his robe and use it slice off the rope before backflipping to gain some distance.
"Magic is not my only strength." He told Milliana as she held her stomach and glared at him. "I'll admit, you are stronger than I initially thought. So, it appears I must give some effort to win this."
Dobengal placed his hands together and formed a sign with his fingers. "Ninja Clone!" A flash of light shined around his body before it spread out all over the area, causing Milliana to cover her eyes. When the light vanished, she looked in shock to see that there were now twenty identical clones of Dobengal that had her surrounded, both on the street, and even on the rooftops of some of the buildings.
"Strong as you are, you are but a tiny kitten. And I am a tiger!" Dobengal stated as he stood by all his clones. "And I am ready for a feast!" With that, all his clones leapt at their surprised target.
"..Come on Milliana…" Kurenai muttered as she clenched her trident firmly, hoping that her guild member would be able to win this match.
As she stood by her fellow Wizard Saints, Aurora noticed a concerned look on Bruni's face. "What's wrong?"
"Don't you think it's odd that we haven't heard back from Natsu, Jellal, and the others?" He wondered. "I get they gotta be stealthy about this, but we should have at least heard something back by now."
Gandelina had a contemplated look underneath her hood. "Something must have happened."
Meanwhile, the group that consisted of Dante, Natsu, Lucy, Lisanna, Jellal, Happy, Wendy, Carla, Sheree, Lady, Mira, Trish, Panther-Lily, Yukino, Sorano, Cana, Kyrie, and Modeus all continued to trek through the underground cave system that served as the prison that was known as the City of Death, but so far, there appeared to be no end in sight. But during their long walk, Dante and everyone had filled Lucy and Yukino in on what went down after their arrest.
"Wait… there's another me?!" Lucy exclaimed in surprise as even Yukino was caught off guard.
"Yes." Jellal confirmed. "I met her around the same time you were shown the Eclipse Gate. After your friends and Lady Kurenai had returned and told us about it, we were able to put the pieces together."
"This Lucy came from the future through the Eclipse Gate." Sheeree said.
"But how is that possible?" Yukino wondered. "The Gate is well protected; somebody should have seen her emerge."
"We don't know." Sorano answered for her sister. "She fainted after we found her and hasn't woken up since."
"The rest of Crime Sorciere is looking out for her as we speak. Hopefully we'll be able to get some answers from her soon." Modeus said.
"That's assuming we find a way out of this dump." Dante kicked a rock. "How long have we been down here anyway?"
"I would say at least an hour." Panther-Lily answered. "Though it's odd we haven't seen the end of this tunnel yet."
"Natsu, Wendy, have you two managed to smell anything?" Lisanna asked.
"Not really." Natsu answered. "Probably because nobody's been down here in a long time."
"I'm not even picking up any changes in the airflow." Wendy revealed. "So, there aren't tunnels nearby."
"Changes in the airflow?" Yukino asked.
"I'm sure you know that Dragon Slayers have enhanced senses, having worked alongside two yourself, correct?" Carla explained.
"Yes, I'm aware." Yukino confirmed.
"Well since I'm a Sky Dragon Slayer and my element is air, I'm able to use my senses to detect the flow of air around us, I can even hear and feel the way people breathe." Wendy revealed. "It's how I was able to beat Sherria in our match."
Yukino looked amazed. "That's incredible."
"Got that right. That's my little sis!" Sheeree pulled Wendy in for a playful noogie, causing Wendy to laugh.
"Sheeree, stop!" Wendy laughed as she tried to escape her grasp, such a scene caused many people to smile or even chuckle.`
"It's weird…" Kyrie said aloud. "Despite our situation, everyone seems rather carefree."
"Better get used to it, cause that's how things work here." Cana grinned.
"People are annoyingly optimistic in Fairy Tail." Lady added with a slight smirk of her own. "So much so, even I got infected by it."
"Oh, speaking of the guild… Dante, Natsu, aren't you two supposed to be in the final match today?" Lucy asked her cousin and the Dragon Slayer.
"You seriously think we'd do that and just leave you here?" Dante questioned rhetorically.
"Yeah, we had come and rescue you guys." Natsu added.
"Natsu was so gung-ho about saving you, he wouldn't listen to reason." Happy teased.
"He wouldn't even let his magic being drained stop him." Lisanna teased as well, causing Natsu to grumble in annoyance.
"Awe, how sweet. I didn't know you cared so much." Lucy also teased, putting her hands on her cheeks. Dante chuckled himself as he nudged Natsu on the side with his arm.
"Nero and Juvia decided to fill in for them." Trish revealed. "Oh, and you wanna know something crazy? Vergil's not participating in the match either."
Neither Lucy nor Yukino expected that. "Wait… what!?" The blonde questioned in surprise.
"It's true." Mira confirmed. "We didn't find out about that ourselves till after we came here."
"But… I don't understand… why wouldn't Vergil participate?" Yukino wondered.
"The officials had said that Sabertooth's master had suffered a stroke and could no longer fulfill the role as head of the guild, so Vergil had to take his place." Lily informed.
"I seriously doubt that." Dante said. "My guess, he wasn't too happy about my bro and those wannabe Dragon Slayers losing to me and Natsu, so he threw a fit. Maybe he took it too far, and Vergil probably did something."
"Dante… you… you don't think Vergil killed him, do you?" Lucy questioned.
"Given how much of a sick bastard he was, it wouldn't surprise me if that was the case." Dante replied.
Yukino couldn't help but wince herself. She still remembered her own expulsion from the guild and the humiliation that Jiemma tried to put her through, but Vergil had stepped in to at least spare her dignity.
"Perhaps it was out of self-defense?" She suggested. "As you suggested, Jiemma may have taken it too far and Vergil had to do it to protect himself, or even Sting and Rogue."
"We'll worry about Vergil later. Right now, we gotta get out of this hole and smash that stupid gate to pieces." Natsu declared as he pounded his fist into his palm.
"No… wait!" Yukino spoke up. "We… we shouldn't be so quick to do something so hasty."
"Yukino…" Lucy tried while everyone looked with seriousness and confusion towards her.
"I know the Eclipse Gate can be dangerous in the wrong hands but… in the right hands, it can also do some good." She tried.
"Yukino, the very idea of tampering with time itself is wildly irresponsible." Modeus told her. "You prevent two people from meeting, you could stop someone from being born, someone important, perhaps even your own ancestors and you could cease to exist. Change one thing and you could change everything, and not necessarily for the better. For all we know, we could make things worse. We could destroy everything."
"And things aren't even all that bad yet." Sheeree added. "If anything, maybe the Eclipse Gate could be considered if there's no other choice… but we're nowhere near that stage. If Princess Hisui is responsible for the Eclipse Project, she clearly has no idea what she's doing, or how much damage she could cause."
Yukino seemed to understand the logic in what they were saying, but a part of her still felt like they should go through with it. "Lucy told me about how Zeref was cursed, as well as his connection to Sparda." That caused everyone, particularly Dante, to look at Lucy with surprise while she just looked at them with a confirming nod. "Zeref himself was never evil, but rather the victim of someone even more cruel. But if we had a chance to fix that… to save an innocent man from being so horribly damned… or even stop Acnologia from turning into the Black Dragon… that could still save many lives. It may even save Sparda, your father, Dante! Maybe even your mother!" The red-clad Devil Hunter looked serious at that particular statement but let Yukino continue. "And if Zeref was never cursed… then that cult wouldn't exist either. Lucy also told me about the Tower of Heaven and… what you went through Sorano, you as well Jellal." Now it was their turn to pay attention. "We could… stop all that from happening. And maybe… you would be able to live normal lives, we all could."
"And I would probably jump at a chance like that." Sorano said to her sister. "If Lucy told you everything, then you know I've done horrible things. I've killed people. I stole their spirits, and I relished in the suffering of others. I've committed so many horrible deeds that my soul may be damned for eternity no matter how much good I do now. If I had a chance to start over and live a normal life, growing up with you, I'd probably take it." That caused Yukino to smile with hope. "But not if it comes at the expense of everyone else. Because it is that same train of thought I had, that led to me trying to find Nirvana and hurting so many people along the way."
Yukino's smile faded when she saw her sister say that.
"She's right." Jellal said as well. "I too wish I could go back and undo so many mistakes… but these scars that we have… make us who we are. We're not meant to go back and fix them. And there's nothing broken with you that needs to be fixed. Take it from a man who's made a lot of mistakes. Don't live your past… live your life."
"B-But… but I…" Yukino still tried.
"Yukino, my soul might be damned, but yours isn't." Sorano put her hands on her shoulders. "You are free. You are free to live a life that's beyond your past. Any kind of life you want, you are free to choose. Please… don't let my mistakes define your choices. Don't let me drag you down."
Tears formed in the girl's eyes. It sounded like her older sister was trying to push her away, and maybe she was, out of love and for her own good. But it still hurt. Hearing her sniffles caused everyone to look in sympathy. Yukino wanted to use the Eclipse Gate and risk something dangerous, but it wasn't out of vengeance or power, it was out of love. A chance to fix things so that her sister and many other people can live better lives. It was out of the purest of intentions… but it was still dangerous and they needed to stop it.
"Hey." Dante stepped forward, getting Yukino's attention as Sorano backed away. "Even if you did 'fix' things." Dante used air-quotes for emphasis. "What's to stop something just as bad from happening after that? Something you can't control. Something you can't predict. Yukino, listen to me…" Dante spoke very seriously. "No matter what you do, bad things are going to happen. It can't be helped." A smile then formed on his face. "But good things happen to, ya know? I lost my old family… but I gained a new one. And… we've done a lot of good too. Hell, we saved the world. Like, a bunch of times. And because of that, there's a whole bunch of other families out there that get a chance to live their lives how they want. Yeah, what we got ain't perfect, but it's not so bad either. So, before you get any crazy ideas about creating a new world… why not give this one a chance?" He offered her his hand. "I'd be happy to show you around."
Yukino looked into Dante's eyes and could see just how sincere he was. This was the same man who saved her sister, stood up to all of Sabertooth for her, and even offered her a place to stay when she had nowhere else to go. She had heard Lucy say a lot of good things about him during their time imprisoned as well, and it seems she wasn't kidding. Was he really willing to let her in, despite being a bad luck charm? If someone as kind and amazing as him saw there was good in even her… maybe there is hope for this world.
With a teary smile, she reached out and accepted his hand. "Thank you… you are a kind man, Dante."
He shrugged with his grin. "Eh, just looking for out my friends, and keeping promises." He spared Sorano that last glance, earning a nod and a smile from her as well.
Everyone in Fairy Tail, and even Sheeree and Jellal, smiled at what they had just seen. Dante seemed to have managed to not only change Yukino's mind, but even give her hope when she was in the midst of despair and grief. That was something that Lady remembered him doing for her a long time ago, and it was always nice to see him do it for other people as well.
"You better be careful Lady, or else you might lose your chance." Happy teased as he flew up to her.
Lady's eyelids lowered as she brandished one of her guns. "This thing is fully loaded." That prompted Happy to literally zip his mouth shut.
"Come on, what are we waiting for?" Natsu urged everyone with his usual positivity and eagerness. "We got a gate to smash and a world to save."
"Yeah, let's do it!" Lisanna said in agreement.
With everyone's spirits raised, the group picked up the pace and ran further into the cave system, even Yukino had her spirit perked a bit as she felt herself run alongside Fairy Tail and Crime Sorciere. Though she was happy to be by her sister's side again, it was also nice to work alongside all these people as well.
However, Modeus, who was more in the back, happened to get a strange feeling and stopped for a brief moment, glancing over his shoulder toward a cavern wall. Though he didn't see anything at first, he couldn't shake this feeling as he narrowed his eyes. The feeling that they were being watched.
"Modeus! Come on!" He heard Wendy call his name, prompting him to run and catch up with the others.
And it would seem his suspicions were indeed correct. Emerging from a small pile of rocks from the wall that Modeus had been watching, there was a vibrant flower that had grown and opened up its petals, to reveal an eyeball that had been watching them the whole time.
Meanwhile, in another part of the seemingly endless dungeon, five uniquely dressed individuals made their way to a certain destination. The one in the lead dressed in a style that seemed to cross a dark knight with a grim reaper, wearing dark armored and a hooded robe, with a monster-like mask covering the lower half of his face, he also wielded a pair of large scythes sheathed to his back, each one having a hand-like extensions on the opposite ends of the blades. The man on his right was incredibly large and muscular, wearing a sleeveless leather jacket and had a bottle in his mouth. The man on the left had the appearance and style of a Japanese fisherman, with a flag being carried over his shoulder, and a blank look in his eyes. Two women also occupied the group; one had long black hair tied back, wearing a sleeveless dark purple dress and a pair of sandals; while the other had messy pink hair and wore a big puffy cap on her head with a long pink coat over a green mini-skirt and green boots, all of which had a plant-like motif to it.
The plant girl looked through a plant-eyeball she held in her hands, which showed her those among Fairy Tail and Crime Sorciere making their way through the caverns.
"Kama, the criminals are getting closer." The flower girl told her leader.
"Excellent work, Cosmos." The hooded leader of the group, identified as Kama, replied. "And it seems we've arrived as well."
The group of five came to a large stone door that was embedded in a cavern wall, one that was sealed shut with a circle at the very center.
"I said it before and I'll say it again, I do not like this." The black-haired woman said aloud. "We are the Wolf Knights! We do not need help from this… this vile filth."
"Yeah, I'm with Kamika on this." The large and burly man said. "We're tough enough to handle these guys."
"I do not doubt your skill, Neppa, nor do I for any of you. However, this is a direct order from the princess herself." Kama reminded, causing all of his comrades to grimace. They could not deny an order from one of the royal family. "As one of these criminals happens to be a Son of Sparda, we cannot underestimate him either so we must do this. Though I will admit, I do not like it either."
"Nice to know we're on the same page." Kamika commented.
"Those guys came fishing for trouble, let's give em a whopper!" The fisherman-dressed individual said.
"Indeed, Uosuke." Kama said as he brandished an amulet in his hand and shined it at the large door. The amulet glowed a vibrant pink, which the circle in the middle of the door also glowed, causing it to open up.
What was behind the stone door, was something that had been trapped in darkness for a long time. It was a rather large demon, one that was at least fifteen feet tall. He currently sat on a stone throne, bound by chains that kept him from moving, indicating he was imprisoned. This demon had a light green skin tone and wore the bare minimum chest-neck armor that was connected to a dark reddish-purple cape on his back, revealing he was mostly shirtless to show his lean and muscular green frame. He had curved spikes on his forearms along with arm guards, and he also wore a cloth attached by chains and a belt. He had a long tail as well. This demon also had a long-curved horn on the right side of his head, though there was a stump on the left side, indicating he had an identical horn as well, one that had been cut off some time ago.
The demon's eyes opened, revealing a green glow as he set his eyes on the Wolf Knights. "So… the so-called 'assassins of justice' seek the aid of a 'filthy demon'?" He spoke with a faint chuckle.
The Wolf Knights all glared at him as their leader spoke. "Moloch, you are bound by the authority of the royal family, and they have ordered you to aid us in eliminating the criminals that have entered the Palace of Perdition. You will aid us." Kama said in a tone that sounded more like a threat than a request.
The demon known as Moloch looked more intrigued than anything else. "Well then, who am I but a slave to deny the will of his masters? Unfortunately, there is only so much I can do in my current state."
Kama scoffed before shining the amulet once again on the chains that kept Moloch bound to the stone throne. The minute the light shinned on them, the chains broke apart, allowing Moloch to stand, easily towering over the Wolf Knights, all of whom looked ready to put him down the second they he tried anything.
Moloch gazed towards the left of the chamber he was imprisoned in and spotted his personal weapon that was lying flat on a stone pedestal. It was an enormous longsword that was about as long as he was, with the blade being twisted and curved, made entirely a pink crystalline material. He grasped it by the handle and lifted it up, the pink crystals glowing brightly as he sneered evilly.
"So, who is it that I must slay?"
"I don't believe it, ladies and gentlemen!" Chapati commented as Gray continued his onslaught in the frozen library, slugging Rufus in the face, followed through with a punch to the gut and a kick that sent him flying. "Gray has turned the tables on his opponent who had him overwhelmed just minutes ago!"
Rufus shakily pushed up with a growl as he saw Gray's taunting smirk. "That all you got, ya bucktooth cat?"
"Memory-Make: Lightning Scourge!" Rufus outstretched his hand to unleash a storm of lightning bolts mixed with fire, but Gray was able to move past all the bolts, all of which didn't even seem to come close to hitting him, allowing him to kick Rufus in the face and knock him down even further.
"What happened to all that charm and bravado?" Gray continued to taunt. "You're throwing a tantrum like a six-year-old, and you hit like one too."
Rufus gave a yell as his normally composed form was now a chaotic mess and he tried to unleash another Memory-Make Spell, one that launched a volley of ice and earth spikes Gray's way, but he jumped into the air to avoid it.
"Ice-Make: Grappling Hook!" Gray threw out a hook and chain construct made of ice to grab Rufus by the shoulders and hoist him up to the airborne Gray, who outstretched his arm to catch and strike him in the throat and knock the wind out. They began to fell and Gray grabbed Rufus by the face as they did, making sure he took the brunt of it before flipping off him on impact and landing on his feet, while Rufus laid on a broken pile of the icy floor.
"Oooh! That had to hurt!" Mato winced.
"Ha! Gray's thrown that guy completely off his game now!" Gildarts laughed.
"But why? I thought Gray was losing." Patty remembered.
"Yeah, I'm glad he's winning now, but how did he turn it around so quickly?" Romeo asked as well.
"It's because Rufus has two critical weaknesses." Mavis explained. "The first is that he's primarily a long-ranged fighter, keeping his opponents at a distance, while Gray excels at hand-to-hand and close-ranged combat. Once Gray was able to close the distance, that was all he needed."
"What's the second?" Patty asked.
"His temper." Mavis revealed. "Look at Rufus' magic, how much it's changed since the fight turned in Gray's favor. Before it was powerful and sophisticated, but now it's chaotic and harder for him to control. Gray's continuous insults are causing Rufus to become angry and to lose focus."
"I get it!" Levy realized. "When someone gets angry or frustrated it's hard to focus and concentrate. Rufus' Memory-Make depends on his mind and if he can't focus it…"
"Gray has the advantage." Sparda confirmed. And it seems this has been an occurring problem for Rufus. Sparda glanced in the direction of his eldest son, who had a look of disappointment in his eyes, but there was also a lack of surprise. One look at a face like that, and that was all Sparda needed to confirm his suspicions. Rufus may act like a gentleman on the outside, but inside he's a man-child with temper issues.
"It probably also helps that Gray's traded barbs with Natsu for so long." Gildarts commented. "So, I'd say he's an expert at pushing the right buttons with people who got tempers."
"The battle is not over yet." Makarov advised. "I have a sneaking suspicion that Rufus has at least one last trick up his sleeve."
"Y-you… You… You…!" Rufus growled as he tried to push himself up once again. His clothes were all tattered, his mask was torn, his left eye was black and swollen, and his nose was bleeding. "How dare you do this to me…?!"
Gray kept his grin up. "Honestly, it's kinda embarrassing we have the same type of magic. Just like those Dragon Slayers you got, you try to overwhelm everyone with raw power. I can see how Natsu kicked both their asses last time, just like I'm kicking yours. So, if you wanna throw in the towel, go ahead, you wannabe Maker Magic user. You rip off artist. You sloppy cow of a wizard."
That tore it. The last of Rufus' patience had been completely worn out. He gave a mighty yell as his magic spread out in all directions, much to Gray's surprise before he was suddenly struck by a maelstrom of fire, ice, and lightning, and all other forms of magic that exploded all across the library.
"Whoa! Look at that!" Chapati stood up from his seat as he and Mato were completely stunned by Rufus' act, while Yajima looked serious.
"Where'd that come from?!" Elfman questioned. "Gray was winning just a few seconds ago!"
"Rufus has forsaken any sense of control and is now letting loose with every form of magic that he remembers all at once." Sparda said seriously.
"No way… that's crazy…!" Levy was shaking.
"I hope Gray's gonna be okay…" Patty said with concern.
"All we can do is watch now." Morrison said.
Gray groaned and even yelled in pain as bolts of yellow and black lightning, balls of fire, icy-whirlwinds, and pretty much every other form of magic power was lashed out from the raging Rufus in all directions, with Gray getting caught up in a lot of it as he was forced to his hands and knees.
"YOU DARE TO MOCK ME!? YOU DARE TO INSULT ME!?" Rufus screamed. "FIRST THAT IMPUDENT DANTE REFERS TO US A WANNABE DARK GUILD, NOW YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO HUMILIATE ME?!" With another shockwave of raw power, Gray was sent flying and crashing to the wall in the completely totaled library.
Rufus' attack stopped for just a moment as he took a second to catch his breath before glaring at the downed Gray like a rabid animal, ready to rip him to pieces.
"I do not care how unsightly it is… I will use all my power to obliterate you here and now!" Rufus declared. The Memory-Make Circle appeared behind him once more as multiple clusters of several different forms of magic appeared around him, ready to be unleashed in one devastating attack. "All you can do is play in the snow and make ice sculptures! I can mold any form of magic I remember! You are a disgrace to Maker Magic and it is you who deserves to fall into the gutter! So fall already!"
"…Don't tell me what to do." Gray muttered as he pushed himself back up to his feet. "Maker Magic is all about freedom… the freedom to create whatever you want. My master Ur taught me that a long time ago." He stood up fully and was prepared to face the enraged Rufus. "Once more… I have my own memory! I remember all the battles I fought! Every victory, every defeat… all the fights I won using what I learned from her! And it's not just her…! I've learned from everyone in my guild! I remember every fight I lost and I use that memory to make myself stronger!" Gray took another Ice-Make stance as he prepared to fight back. "There's no way I'm gonna let all that go to waste! Go ahead and hit me with everything you got, and I'll do the same! I'll strike you with the power of my memory!"
"Fine! You fight with your memory, and I'll fight with mine! Memory-Make: Absolute Chaos!" A maelstrom of magic power was all unleashed upon Gray. Though, while Rufus was a complete mess and full of rage, Gray remained calm and collected, which hid his fierce resolve underneath. He was so level-headed, that all that incoming magic may as well be in slow-motion.
'He's completely loss control.' Gray thought. 'I don't know if any of that's gonna hit me, maybe it will… but it won't matter. I know what I have to do. So, keep a cool head, remember everything, and give it shape. Once you have that clear picture… let it out all at once.'
"Ice-Make Unlimited: Devil's Dance!"
A large spiral of ice shot outward from Gray's hands and through the maelstrom of magic that seemed to have engulf Gray. The spiral of ice didn't appear the least bit damaged as it carved its way through the chaotic mess launched by Rufus and straight toward him. But as it closed in, Rufus' looked in surprise to see countless different weapons taking shape and form from the ice.
But these were not just any weapons. These were all ice copies of the many Devil's Arms and other similar weapons that Gray had seen his friends and enemies use throughout the many battles. Rebellion, Cerberus, Beowulf, Agni and Rudra, Nevan, the Devil Sword Sparda, Hunter's Moon, even icy versions of Force Edge. But that wasn't all, other basic weapons such as maces, clubs, hammers, and spears, they all barreled down on Rufus.
"Impossible… so many of them… and such great detail…!" Rufus was so shocked that he was unable to dodge as all the frozen weapons struck him all at once, slicing and beating at him. He tried to cross his arms and defend himself, but that did virtually nothing against the bombardment. But even when it ended, and Rufus was just barely standing…
His pupils shrunk as he saw Gray himself directly in front of him, having powered through Rufus' own attack. His hands at his side as an ice-construct was being created, taking the shape of something very familiar.
"You got a really bad temper. Might wanna cool off."
*SLASH!*
Gray had slid past Rufus, holding an ice-katana in his hands that he had used to slash him. "Cold Yamato"
A cluster of ice formed where Rufus was struck, right before it all exploded and Rufus fell to the floor, his eyes white circles to indicate his defeat. Rufus' hat had flown off and into Gray's hand, which he put on his own head, all while holding the ice Yamato over his shoulder, a satisfied smile on his face.
"The name's Gray Fullbuster by the way. Memorize that."
The audience cheered loudly throughout the arena as they saw Gray's victory, but none were more loud than those in Fairy Tail as they all cheered in support for their guildmate.
"That was awesome!" Romeo grinned.
"Hell yeah! That was the manliest attack I ever saw!" Elfman exclaimed.
"Gray threw everything he knew all at once! Amazing!" Levy smiled.
Makarov nodded with satisfaction. "He actually did it."
"Damn right he did." Gildarts agreed.
"Go Gray!" Patty cheered.
Juvia had seen the outcome from a nearby lacrimation as well and smiled. 'I knew Gray wouldn't let us down. Now it's my turn to show the world what Fairy Tail can do.'
"What an amazing battle!" Chapati announced. "Rufus may have won in our very first match Hidden on Day One, but Gray was taken the gold in this impromptu Maker Magic showdown. He even claimed himself a nice little trophy. I guess revenge really is a dish best served cold."
Mato appeared blown away by what he just saw. "I-I-I'm too shocked for words!"
"Yeah, the tables kept on turning, it was really hard to make a call at any point during that fight." Chapati replied.
Yajima smiled with approval. "Gray toughed it out and came out on top. That's Fairy Tail."
"And as a result, Fairy Tail gains another valuable point!" Chapati added.
"Beautiful!" Macao smiled proudly. "Way to sock it to em, Gray!"
"It would have been quicker if he had gone all-out first." Wakaba said.
"He fought wonderfully." Mavis said with approval.
"Gray's certainly a creative fighter, able to keep a cool head and a fierce resolve all at the same time." Sparda smiled. "But his own greatest strength is his endurance. He is a human without any special enhancements, yet he's fought with and against demons and other powerful foes, and each one he's fought through has ultimately made him stronger. With that, he was able to power through Rufus' attacks, discover his weaknesses, and use his own strengths to exploit them. He's an incredible warrior."
However, not everyone in the audience was so jubilant at this outcome. "Poor Rufus…" Frosch looked in sympathy.
Vergil was rather unsurprised by the result of this match. As noted, multiple times, Rufus' temper has always been an hinderance. Unlike Natsu who is able to channel his rage into power, Rufus has no control over his own anger. Gray seemed to have figured that out and took full advantage of that. He was even able to make a near exact replica of the Yamato with his ice-magic and even mimic one of his own moves, a similar move that Wendy herself employed in her battle. Gray may be neither demon nor Dragon Slayer, but he is still an impressive fighter and a worthy opponent.
"Now then, let's take a look at the other active match with another one of Team Sabertooth." Chapati announced.
Milliana used her cat-like agility and speed to run and jump across various rooftops with Dobengal and his clones in hot pursuit. The front most five through a series of explosive energy Kunai, while four more shot rainbow beams from their hands, which struck the ground Milliana was on, causing it to explode and knock her into the air.
"Kitten Blast!" While airborne, Milliana tried to retaliate with spiraling energy beams, which managed to strike three clones, causing them to vanish upon contact, but the remaining clones were still quick to close the gap just as Milliana landed. One rushed to strike a kick to her side, knocking her towards a second who tried to slice his blade at her, which she just barely limboed under before slicing her claws at him, causing that clone to vanish, only for another to suddenly appear in front of her and land a successful slice at her, knocking her off the rooftop.
Though Milliana tried to halt her fall by digging her claws in the wall, four clones appeared above her.
"You will not escape!" They threw their explosive kunai at the wall she was at, creating an explosion that sent her flying and crashing onto the hard and unforgiving ground.
"Milliana!" Amarilla gasped.
"Those clones have her outnumbered." Beth said with worry.
"That dang ninja is playing dirty!" Risley scowled. After she and Arana were defeated, they had returned to the arena to watch the rest of the final match unfold from the Mermaid Heel box.
"What do you expect? He's from Sabertooth." Arana practically spat that guild's name in disgust.
Kurenai continued to watch with a serious expression. She held the utmost confidence in Milliana's abilities, but that did not mean she wasn't worried for her.
"It does not look like this cat will land on her feet this round." Chapati commented. "Milliana seems to be outmatched here."
"Awe, poor little kitty cat." Mato said.
The cat-girl groaned slightly as she tried to pick herself up, only to find herself surrounded by the remaining sixteen clones, all of whom looked down upon her with disappointment.
"Hmm, Mermaid Heel has always been a close second to us in years past." One of the clones said. "And while they do currently have members that have respectable strength, you are clearly not among them. You are weak, and your weakness is a disgrace to your guild."
"Think I'm a disgrace, huh?" Milliana said in a low growl as she tried to pick herself up. But all the clones already had their rainbow-blades ready.
"Time to put this kitten down." Another clone said.
"Before you do… I got a question." Milliana still appeared to be on her hands and knees, making it so that Dobengal was unable to see her face. "If the real you gets taken down, does something happen to all your clones? Do they vanish?"
"What does it matter?" A clone responded.
A knowing grin formed on the cat girl's face. "Why else would the real you be hiding then?"
All the clones' eyes widened in shock, and this brief moment gave Milliana an opportunity to unleash a multitude of her ropes in all directions, creating a huge mess that forced many of the clones to jump and scatter, though two were taken down by the blunt force of such an offensive attack. The whole street they were on was quickly covered in all the ropes, but this only served as a means for Milliana to escape from her predicament as she jumped high into the air.
'I might not have any fancy Dragon Slayer senses like Sapphire or Erza's friends, but cats do have a better sense of smell than most people.' Milliana thought while she was in the air. 'And these clones don't have any scent to them. They're just made out of magic. I couldn't pick up the real one's scent because he isn't there. So, the real one…' She took a few whiffs before looking in the direction of an alleyway, where the real Dobengal was hiding.
"…Is over there!" Milliana launched two ropes, one from each hand, as they embedded into the walls of the building, just outside the alleyway, and she used that to slingshot herself right into the narrow space, stretching her feet out to land a solid hit on Dobengal and sending him flying out the other end and into the street on the other side. He tried to get up, only to see that Milliana was already on him.
"I don't have any fancy, over-the-top, spells like some of my friends, but I still got a few tricks up my sleeve!" She extended her claws again and slashed at him repeatedly before he had the chance to counter.
"No… I will not be defeated!" He tried to fight back, only for his wrist to get entangled by Milliana's rope, rendering him unable to use his magic.
"Too late for that!" She pulled on the rope to bring in her opponent and landed a roundhouse kick to the face, knocking him into the wall before striking him with another Kitten Blast attack to make sure he was down for good.
All the clones nearby vanished in flashes of light, while the real Dobengal laid back against the building's wall, his eyes white circles to show he was unconscious and defeated.
"Now that cat has some serious spring in her step!" Chapati commentated as much of the audience cheered. "Dobengal may have had power and numbers on his side, but Milliana's quick thinking allowed her to snag victory!"
"Raw power doesn't always guarantee a win." Yajima said. "Sabertooth should have learned that lesson after Sting and Rogue's defeat, but apparently not."
"That match wasn't as flashy as Gray's win against Rufus, but it was still fun to watch!" Mato commented.
"Go Milliana!" Amarilla cheered.
"Atta girl." Risley nodded while Beth and Arana shared high fives.
Kurenai smiled and nodded with approval. "That's my little cat girl."
"Now then, let's have a look at the current scoreboard." Chapati began as the lacrimatrons showed the placement and numbers for each team. "In first place is the Fairy Tail guild with fifty-seven points. Six members remain, one leader and five normal members."
"Mermaid Heel is in second place with fifty-three points." Mato added. "They currently have four players on their team, including their leader."
"Interestingly enough, Gray and Milliana each received one point after defeating Rufus and Dogengal respectively, meaning Sabertooth still has their leader on their team." Yajima said.
"Right. And Sabertooth remains in third place with only fifty-two points, having defeated the last of Quatro Puppy. Both they and Blue Pegasus are not out of the competition." Chapati continued.
"The only remaining team is Lamia Scale, currently in five place, just below the recently eliminated Blue Pegasus, with twenty-seven points." Yajima said. "They have three members remaining on their team, including their leader."
"Lamia Scale really needs to catch up as there is a huge point gap between them and the other teams." Chapati commented. "Fairy Tail's really dominating out there! They're not only in first place, they still have all their members!"
"Sure, Fairy Tail has a serious advantage, but can they utilize it?" Mato asked.
Orga tisked as he saw on the floating lacrimatrons the status of Rufus and Dobengal, both laying defeated at their respective spots. "So, Rufus and Dobengal got their asses kicked, huh? That's fine by me." He smirked as black lightning surged around him. "With them out of the way, I'll get more prey all too myself."
Rogue saw the state of his two teammates as well, but he didn't seem all that disappointed or upset by it. "Fairy Tail continues to prove to be formidable. Even if Dante and Natsu aren't present, they shouldn't be underestimated." But there was one specific member of that guild that he seemed more focused on than anyone else. "Gajeel, until I beat you on my own, I refuse to be defeated by anyone else."
Sting sat alone on the side of a building, away from most of the action. He didn't seem to care at all about what happened to his teammates. He wasn't upset or thrilled about it. The White Dragon Slayer looked towards his own hand as he thought about his beloved Exceed companion once again.
'Lector… I swear I'll win for you. One way or another, I'll bury Fairy Tail and anyone else who gets in my way.' He thought with a dark look in his eyes.
Milliana took a moment to catch her breath as she leaned on the side of a building. "I'm glad I won, but that guy was still pretty tough. And Sabertooth's probably got guys way stronger than him, not to mention all the other tough guys that are still out there." She stood up fully and clasped her cheeks. "But I'm not giving up! I plan on winning this! Lucia, Kagura, and Sapphy are giving it their all, and I'll do the same!" She ran down the street with her spirit as perky as ever. "Watch out Erzy, because I don't plan to hold back against you either!"
However, the cat-girl had failed to notice someone else was watching her from around the corner behind her. It was Minerva, who had a sinister smile on her face.
"Rufus and Dobengal both lost…" Frosch looked upset while Vergil's expression remained the same. Though he did happen to glance at the Fairy Tail box to see everyone there in high spirits, not that he could blame them. But they shouldn't let down their guard either, this game was still far from over.
"Awesome, we're in first place and everyone's still going!" Jet said excitedly.
"If they can keep this up, we'll win for sure!" Droy added.
"Hold on, we still got a long way to go." Morrison reigned them in. "Sabertooth still has plenty of powerful guys on their side, and Mermaid Heel's strongest are still on the board too."
"Plus Lamia Scale's still got Lyon, Sherria, and Jura." Wakaba added.
"Yep, we're just getting to the hard part." Macao said seriously.
"Hey Warren, have we heard anything back from Natsu, Dante, or the others?" Gildarts asked their guild's telepath.
"No, not yet." Warren shook his head.
"That has me worried." Makarov said.
"They do have a rather difficult task on their hands." Sparda commented. "Rescuing Lucy and Yukino shouldn't be that much of an issue, but they still need to reacquire their keys if they're going to destroy the Eclipse Gate. I don't expect it to be an easy mission… but it is odd we didn't at least get an update from them."
"Unfortunately, I think it's safe to assume that something has gone wrong." Mavis said gravely.
Meanwhile, within the Palace of Perdition, the allied group of Fairy Tail and Crime Sorciere had taken a moment to stop and rest, having found no exit in sight yet, and many of in the group getting tired and hungry.
"Ah man my stomach…" Natsu groaned along with his belly, laying flat on the ground. "I need some food or I'm gonna keel over."
"Same, what I wouldn't give for an ice-cold beer right now." Dante leaned back against a stone pillar.
"Well, it's not like the rest of us have any snacks or booze handy." Lady commented.
"Yes, I doubt we'll find anything worth munching on down here." Mira added.
"It won't be long before we're part of the scenery." Panther-Lily said, looking at a skeleton nearby.
"Thanks for the optimism, furball!" Lucy replied, not even trying to hide her sarcasm.
"So, they just leave people down here to starve to death?" Kyrie asked in mild horror. "That's just cruel!"
"I have to agree." Jellal commented. "Even in a maximum-security prison, the inmates were at least fed."
"Hey, we're back!" Lisanna called out as she and Sheeree flew back from one end of the cave, the youngest Strauss having assumed her Harpy Take Over to enable flight while Sheeree used her Magical Drain to copy the transformation herself.
"Same here!" Happy and Carla also flew in from the other direction.
"Any luck?" Trish asked.
"No, the ceiling is completely blocked too." Sheeree replied as she and Lisanna landed, turning back normal.
"There doesn't seem to be any way out of here." Carla added.
"Hmm, what about you Cana? Anything from your cards?" Modeus asked as the card-wielding woman had a series of fortune teller cards laid out on the ground in front of her.
"Hmmm, I'm not exactly seeing an exit…" She replied as she looked a little more intrigued than anything.
"How can a cave be this big anyway?" Trish questioned. "You can fit a whole city down here."
"It is called the 'City of Death'." Mira reminded.
"I thought it was just an exaggeration or a metaphor or something." Trish replied.
"Do you know how big this place is, Yukino?" Wendy asked the older girl.
"Well, I've only heard rumors from some of the guards, but I believe it's centered below the castle. And it's roughly ten times larger than all of Crocus." Yukino informed.
"That's just perfect." Lady groaned.
Sorano sighed. "Imagine that… Fairy Tail and Crime Sorciere, meeting their end by starving to death in a cave system the size of a city, and after everything we've all been through. Talk about ironic."
"I think you mean pathetic." Panther-Lily said, sounding unamused himself.
"I doubt it'll be that simple." Jellal spoke up.
"What do you mean?" Happy asked.
"Even if prisoners are simply left here for dead, it's too much of a risk for us." Jellal explained. "The Princess is aware that we intend to stop the Eclipse Project, but more than anything, she has to be aware of what most of us are capable of. My guild and I are essentially Fiore's most wanted, regarded as dangerous criminals. While many of those from Fairy Tail here have competed in the Grand Magic Games. If the princess has seen those matches, she has to know what you can do."
"I think you might be right." Modeus seemed to agree. "It seems like too much of a loose end to just leave us like this."
"So, what exactly does that mean?" Kyrie asked.
"It means we might have a potential fight on our hands." Sheeree answered. "The princess could send someone down here to kill us and make sure we're out of the way."
"This cave does seem like the best way to go about it." Sorano added. "There are no witnesses down here, so she could just make up some excuse or lie about our deaths, and it's not like anyone would have proof to say otherwise."
"Man, that's messed up." Natsu commented.
"It's pretty dark too." Wendy commented.
"And totally something a high-profile politician would do to cover their own ass." Dante said.
"But everyone in our guild knows." Lisanna put in. "Plus Lady Kurenai, not to mention we have friends in the other guilds. If they were told what happened, I doubt they'd actually believe anything the princess would say."
"True." Jellal accepted. "In the worst case scenario, she may inadvertedly incite a war between the guilds and the Fiore kingdom, which I doubt she wants. But getting back to my theory, if the princess were to send someone down here to execute us…"
"They would have to know a way out of here!" Lucy said in realization.
"And if that's the case, we'll beat the shit out of them and make em give up the exit!" Trish twirled one of her guns in her hand.
"I think that's what's going to happen." Cana said as she showed everyone her cards on the floor. "My cards don't exactly say 'exit', but they do foretell conflict is in our immediate future. So a fight really could be on our hands."
"A fight!? Well count me in!" Natsu was back up on his feet and ready to throw down. "Let's go find these guys and take em out!"
Dante smirked. "You all heard the loudmouth. Let's go." He gestured, prompting everyone to pick up their pace and make their way further down the cave.
Yukino couldn't help but smile at their eagerness. "It's kinda funny… despite the situation we're in, not to mention the fate of the world being at stake… I can't help but feel at ease." She said more to her sister.
"Well, it helps that you're with friends." Sorano smiled herself before looking down somewhat. "For seven years, I've had to live with so much guilt… but, being with Crime Sorciere, people who also know that kind of guilt, and understand what you're going through… it just makes it feel a little more… manageable. That's at least how I can describe it."
"But staying by the side of the other people outside your group, the people that you've come to know and love, that helps too." Sheeree added, glancing towards Wendy and Carla, the former grinned with all teeth while the later simply smiled. Even Modeus smiled at the moment they shared.
Yukino's smile faded. She wished she had that. She wished she had people to rely on and feel more at ease when she was around. But she did feel something like that a few days ago before all this started. Thinking back on that, she looked towards the red-clad Devil Hunter up front and spoke.
"Oh and Dante… I wanted to thank you again." Yukino began. "Standing up to Sabertooth for me… that meant a lot."
"You already thanked me for that, but you're welcome anyway." Dante waved off.
"Well, it's not just that." Yukino stopped for a moment, prompting everyone else to stop as well. "You also saved my sister's life. Lucy told me all about your encounter with Devil Hand seven years ago, how Sorano was targeted for a dark ritual, but you saved her. Not only that, you made a promise to her, a promise to look out for me, someone you didn't even know." She bowed her head to him. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of that."
Dante gave a slight chuckle. "Hey, you don't gotta get so formal with me. I just did what any other decent guy would have done."
"Yeah, Dante here might be a trash-talking glutton for punishment, but he's a pretty okay guy." Lady said.
"Really? Just 'okay'? No 'handsome' or anything?" Dante joked.
"You wish." Lady nudged him in the side.
"Well, she is right though." Sorano also said, speaking to Dante. "You didn't just save my life though. What you did… really helped me to think things over and look back at all the choices I made in my life. And… that helped me to Crime Sorciere. I know a lot of the stuff I've done can't be taken back but… being a different path feels good. And I owe some of that to you. Thanks, Dante." Sorano gave a slight laugh. "A demon helping to redeem an angel. If that doesn't count as ironic, I don't know what does."
Much of the group did share a laugh from that. As they did, Mira noticed how Lisanna and Yukino were standing close to one another and picked up on something.
"Hey, Lisanna… is it just me or does Yukino look a lot like you?" The elder Strauss sister asked.
"Actually, now that you mention it…" Lucy got a good look herself, along with everyone else.
"Yes, I can see the resemblance as well." Modeus commented.
"They do look a lot alike." Kyrie added.
"It also helps that Yukino's wearing Lisanna's clothes right now." Trish added in.
"Oh…? You think so?" Yukino herself wondered.
"Yeah, you two might as well be sisters yourselves. It's crazy." Cana said.
"Not all that crazy, we actually are related." Lisanna put in, much to Yukino's surprise.
"It's true." Sorano confirmed to her sister. "During that whole mess with Devil Hand, I found out that the Strauss' and I share a common ancestor, so we're actually distant relatives."
"Awe, that's cute." Sheeree gushed. "You're practically cousins."
"We should tell Elfman. Bet it'll blow his mind to know he's the only guy in the family." Happy joked.
"Who is Elfman?" Yukino asked.
"Our brother, and I feel like you'd really like him." Mira replied.
"Is it just me, or does this guild seem to be entangled in many familial lines?" Panther-Lily asked with a somewhat humorous smile to Carla.
"It's like several different family trees have all twisted into each other to create one big mess." Carla joked herself.
"Yep, and that mess is proudly known as Fairy Tail." Dante said with a proud grin.
As the group shared a moment of levity, Jellal himself couldn't help but smile. He has seen time and again how strong the bonds of Fairy Tail are, and it made him somewhat envious, wishing he could be a part of that. Though his path took him in a different direction, and he was determined to see it through. Yet, he also saw how noticeably happy Sorano and Sheeree all were with this group, it probably helped that they were with their respective sisters, but it was still nice to see them smile like this.
"Speaking of, once we're done with this whole Eclipse Gate stuff… why don't you join up, Yukino?" Dante offered.
The aforementioned Celestial Wizard looked in surprise. She remembered how she was offered a spot in Fairy Tail just after being kicked out of Sabertooth. Beforehand, she was so overwhelmed with all that, she was unable to think and give a proper answer. But now, after spending some time with them, as well as the stories she heard about from Lucy, and seeing how vastly different their dynamic was compared to the harsh and cold environment of Sabertooth… maybe she should consider a place in this guild.
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed throughout the cave, and even shook the ceiling as rocks fell down, alerting the group.
Natsu took a few whiffs of air. "Wendy, you smell that?"
"Yeah, I can feel a new flow of air in here." The Sky Dragon Slayer confirmed.
"Looks like we got that fight coming." Cana said seriously.
"Where is this new flow of air coming from?" Jellal asked.
"From that direction!" Wendy pointed forward. "And…" her eyes widened in shock. "I smell blood! Somebody's hurt real bad!"
"Let's go but be ready for a fight!" Modeus stated as the group ran on ahead with Wendy leading on, guiding the group with her enhanced senses. It wasn't long before they made their way to a cavern wall that looked like it had recently collapsed, leading to a new chamber.
"This wall looks like it was broken down recently." Panther-Lily observed. "Our foes could be nearby."
Lady spotted someone lying on the ground on the other side of the rubble. "Hey, somebody's there!"
The large group quickly climbed, jumped, or flew over the rocks and debris to the other side to see a man lying on the ground, wearing torn clothes and covered in blood and injuries. And it was someone that Yukino recognized right away.
"Colonel Arcadios?!" She and everyone else wasted no time in rushing to his aid.
"He was thrown down here too?" Trish questioned.
"Yesh, what happened to this guy?" Dante winced as he noticed all his injuries.
"Here, I'll heal you!" Kyrie kneeled to his side and used her magic to try and stave off his injuries.
"I'll help too!" Wendy also applied her own healing magic. Already their combined powers were starting to heal the worst of his injuries. So much so that he was starting to regain consciousness.
"These injuries are not one can sustain from a simple fall. Somebody did this to him." Jellal deduced.
"R-Run… run away…" Arcadios warned.
Many people in the group sensed it coming. A series of attacks that were all baring down on them from five different directions. One was a vast amount of paper that was lit on fire, another was an attack that mixed spoors and gas, there was a wave of water with the third, the fourth was a splash of a purple corrosive liquid, while the fifth and most powerful was a line of pink crystals that exploded from the ground and shot toward them.
They were quick to act. Dante had drawn Ebony and Ivory to shoot the crystals, causing them to explode before they hit the group. Jellal outstretched his hand to blast some raw magic and obliterate the corrosive liquid. Trish swung the Devil Sword Sparda to send a wave of lightning to intercept the flaming paper. Sheeree used her ability to copy Wendy's breath attack and blow away the spoors. Natsu had used his own breath attack to evaporate the wave of water.
"Impressive." All eyes turned to the pile of rubble they previously crossed to see a certain demon standing on top of it to literally look down upon all of them. "But I would expect nothing less from Sparda's child, as well as those within the Fairy Tail guild."
"Who the heck is that?!" Lucy questioned.
"It's a demon!" Lisanna exclaimed.
"That is not just any demon." Modeus recognized him. "His name is Moloch, he was a high-ranking commander in Mundus' army during the demon's invasion of Earthland over two thousand years ago. He is conniving, ruthless, and a vile beast who wouldn't hesitate to slaughter those under him if it meant achieving his goals."
"A commander in service to the Demon Emperor." Lily narrowed his eyes.
"But what's he doing down here?" Trish wondered.
"If he served Mundus, did he know my old man?" Dante asked.
"He did." Modeus confirmed. "He fancied himself a rival to your father, though he could never quite measure up."
"All this time and you still don't do my name justice, Demon of the Moon. But given that you were a loyal dog of that traitor, I shouldn't be surprised at how biased you are." Moloch replied.
"Yeah this guy does sound like he has a big chip on his shoulder." Lady commented.
"Evil with an ego." Happy said.
"Geeze, I always hate those type of guys." Natsu complained before lighting his fist on fire. "But I love pounding their teeth in. And if this bozo is looking for a fight, I'll be more than happy to give it to em!"
"Brave words. Unfortunately, my eyes are only on Sparda's son. The rest of you will have to deal with my comrades." Moloch stated.
"Don't you dare insult us by mentioning us in the same name as you!"
Everyone else turned around to see the five uniquely dressed individuals known as the Wolf Knights, having arrived as well, with their leader speaking out.
"We are servants of justice! You are a vile creature that we are using for this operation! Do not forget that!" Kama stated.
"More bad guys, huh?" Cana questioned.
"Get out of here… you're in danger…" The injured Arcadios tried to warn them.
"Who exactly are these people?" Mira asked.
"They are an independent squad that serves the Fiore Kingdom from the shadows…" Arcadios muttered weakly. "Ruthless… blood thirsty executioners… the Wolf Knights."
"First an egotistical demon, now Executioners?" Dante questioned.
"We were expecting the princess to send someone down here to try and silence us, I suppose this is whom she sent." Lily assumed.
"The Wolf Knights… I've heard my fair share of rumors surrounding them." Jellal informed. "Though they officially serve the royal kingdom, many in the criminal underworld fear them as murderers more ruthless than they."
"So, they're like royal black ops." Lady commented. "They don't quite look the part though."
"I wouldn't underestimate them." Yukino advised. "If the rumors I heard are true, then we are facing dangerous and ruthless hunters."
"They're the reason it's impossible to leave this cursed place… alive anyway." Arcadios revealed.
"That so?" Dante grinned. "Guess we'll just have to break their record. We've gone up against worse odds, right?"
"Right." Natsu confirmed with an equally eager grin as everyone else readied themselves for battle. "I'm all fired up now."
"We outnumber these guys at least two to one. So, I'd say we got the advantage." Sheeree commented.
Kama looked unsurprised. "You are not the first who did not fear the Wolf Knights, but they're all dead. Your bones will join there's soon enough."
"Just remember, human. Sparda's son is mine." Moloch reminded. "You can deal with the rest at your leisure."
"We do not take orders form you, demon." Kama glared. "But you are tasked with the one named Dante, so have at it. Uosuke, separate them!"
"You got it, boss! Terrain Effect: Earthquake Fault Line!" Uosuke pressed his hands to the ground, which created a massive tremor that shook up the ground, causing it to tear up as large spikes and mounds of rock erupted from right under the group of heroes, causing them all to separate into much smaller groups as several holes opened in the group and they all fell in. Jellal and Modeus fell in one; Natsu, Wendy, Happy, and Sheeree fell in the other; Lucy, Yukino, Sorano, Lisanna, and Arcadios fell into one all together; Trish, Mira, and Cana had fallen into a fourth pit; Lady, Panther-Lily, and Kyrie had descended into another.
Dante had fallen into his own hole all by himself, or at least he thought as Carla fell down with him. Though she quickly sprouted her wings and flew down to catch Dante before heading further down, the red-clad Devil Hunter landed on his feet as Carla had slowed his fall.
"Thanks Carla. You good?" Dante asked.
"I'm alright, but it seems you and I are the only ones here." Carla looked around. "We must have been separated with from the others."
"Yeah, your usual divide and conquer. Split a big party into several smaller groups and make it easier to pick them off. Isn't that right?" He glanced to his right to see Moloch landing on the ground somewhat dramatically, his pink crystal sword being held out.
"Quite the experienced one, aren't you? But no matter what you've experienced, they cannot prepare you for Moloch. I will be the one to claim your head, and all will know of Moloch's superiority!"
"Did you seriously just say your own name twice in the same monologue? Geeze how big an ego you got?" Dante smirked as he noticed the stub on his enemy's head, perpendicular to the sole horn. "My old man do that to you?" Dante gestured to his own head for emphasis.
"Indeed, he did." Moloch clenched the handle of his weapon in anger. "He's also the reason I'm in this pit. Rather than give me the warrior's death I deserved, he chose to humiliate me."
"Eh, probably felt you weren't worth the effort." Dante shrugged.
Moloch growled, already seethed with anger. "As much as I would love to slay the Dark Knight, I know that is impossible. But ending his bloodline is the next best thing."
"You weren't the first to try that." Dante said as he had Rebellion drawn. "Hey Carla, why don't you stay back and let me handle this guy?"
"Very well. He's all yours." Carla flew back to gain some distance.
"Come, Son of Sparda!" Moloch challenged before they both rushed at each other. "I will enjoy cutting you down!"
Done.
I had a lot of fun writing this chapter.
Gray was able to defeat Rufus using his own endurance as well as identifying his opponents' weakness (specifically his lacking in close combat, as well as his psychotic child-like temper). I think that's a much more well-earned and believable victory than just "the power of feelings" nonsense and or some other similar Deus Ex Machina.
Not only that, Milliana was able to defeat Dobengal as well, showing that while she's not exactly a powerhouse, she's not someone to underestimate either (though a certain someone does have other plans for her).
As for the current standings of the guilds in the tournament…
*First Place – Fairy Tail – 57 points
*Second Place – Mermaid Heel – 53 points
*Third Place – Sabertooth – 52 points
*Fourth Place – Blue Pegasus – 30 points (eliminated)
*Fifth Place – Lamia Scale – 27 points
*Sixth Place – Quatro Puppy – 14 points (eliminated)
But there are still plenty of more fights to come and I plan on doing them all justice, don't worry.
Meanwhile, Dante, Jellal, and the others have run into the Wolf Knights as well as Moloch and a massive brawl is now underway.
(Note: in canon, they are called the Garou Knights in the manga, while also known as the Hungry Wolf Knights in the English Dub of the anime, but I shortened it to Wolf Knights because I think it sounds cool)
Moloch is also a demon from the Darksiders series, specifically the final boss from the Genesis spin-off game, voiced by the legendary Keith David no less. In this story, he was a commander in Mundus' army who was in a one-sided rivalry with Sparda, and he has quite a bit of a history with him. You'll learn more as this story goes on.
Fairy Tail and Crime Sorciere clashes with a group of dangerous executioners in the next chapter and they've got some dangerous surprises up their sleeves. Expect a whole lot of action coming soon.
Until then, stay safe and stay healthy out there.
