Chapter 1

The sound of chains clanking woke him up. People chattering, some barking orders, some marching, others dragging objects through the floor, and armour clanking. All that noise…

It was day time already. Natsu moved over his bed, his blanket thrown to the floor and sunlight drizzling in through the thick tent cloth and dazzling his shut eyes. He opened them, and the sunlight blinded him for a while. He groaned and sat up on his bed. His body ached, and he felt unimaginably tired. As if he needed a good few hours more rest. He had spent almost the entire night drinking ale and partying with the other knights by the campfire, telling tales, jeering, laughing and arm wrestling.

He barely remembered what happened last night. Amongst his foggy memories was a beautiful female bard that had visited their encampment on the outskirts of the town of Oldkeep. She had long golden hair that glowed before the campfire, and her skin fair and soft. She told stories of a dragon that had been recently spotted in the forests near the town of Emelle. She had a beautiful voice, and the more Natsu heard her sing her songs or speak, the more attracted to her he became. He would have tried to get closer to her, maybe get her to spend the night with him, except one of Natsu's senior officers—A tall and handsome Paladin, had taken her first. The last Natsu saw them was the two of them walking into the Paladin's private tent.

Natsu sighed. Those memories felt so fuzzy and distant that he really didn't feel like he cared much anymore. It felt as if it had been a dream anyways. Although, he regretted spending his night drinking and having fun. He should have rather sharpened his sword, checked his armour and his hook shot necessary to breach castle walls, and gone to bed instead. That would have made this morning easier.

Today was the big day. The final stride of the Great War. The demon king's remaining armies had been cornered inside of the Sand Bastion, a great siege lying outside his door by some of the finest knights of Natsu's order of the knights—The Ordeal. Named aptly after the severe and mind numbing centuries long conflict going on between the kingdom and the demon army. Today, that all came to a halt.

Natsu hung his legs off the bed and sighed as a headache cruised across his face. This hangover wasn't good for battling… but the fact was that he didn't have to battle. He just had to show his face at the siege site, arriving with the assault unit. The plan was that the assault unit from the encampment where Natsu was right now would trek about 50 miles to the Sand Bastion and join up with the siege unit cornering the demon king and the remainder of his forces inside the Sand Bastion. After that, the demon king would be flushed out and slayed under broad daylight by the Hero. As a way to showcase to the entire world the power of The Ordeal. That was the plan.

Natsu rose off the bed and walked over to the weapons rack nearby. His knight's armour clanked as he walked. He had gone to sleep in that. He picked up his helmet off the table and his greatsword that he latched on his back. His body felt heavy, and he distrusted his ability to be able to make the trek to the Sand Bastion in the state that he was in. But he had been selected to be a member of the assault force. And so… here he was.

"You're awake." He heard a familiar voice, and saw Gray standing at the entrance to the tent, his longsword on his back and his helmet clutched under his arm.

Gray was a tall black haired handsome knight that had been summarily promoted to the rank of knight from a recruit along with Natsu and some other people. He was dutiful and patriotic, sincere and dedicated to the causes of the Ordeal to a fault. No matter how many of Gray's female companions and even some senior female officers made advances on him, he ignored all that in regards to his duties. It was said that nothing could sway him from his dedication to knighthood. And that probably made him even more attractive to the women around him.

Gray smiled at Natsu and then put on his helmet, his smile hidden now. He spoke in a slightly muffled voice through the holes on his helmet.

"Get up. We are ready to march. You need to look ready. Otherwise the proctors will catch you lazing around."

Natsu smiled at him, and Gray left the tent, his red knight's cape fluttering in the bright winds behind his back.

Natsu sighed and put his helmet on.

Soon, Gray would be promoted to a knight captain, and he would become Natsu's senior. It hadn't been made official yet, but Natsu had heard some of his proctors talk about Gray being prime Paladin material. Once Gray became a knight captain, his promotion to a Paladin would be due in a few months. Then he would become a Paladin captain next… and then even a sentinel next. Maybe a sentinel captain, even. For someone like him, his road was clear and obstacle free. He worked hard towards it. Everyone did. Soon, everyone that called Natsu their friend would leave him behind. And Natsu would be left alone.

Natsu looked down at his open hands, and wondered deep. Why was his road not clear? Why couldn't he ever dream of a promotion, and the benefits that came with it? Why was Natsu so average in everything he did? Why couldn't he be exceptional, like those around him? Like Gray?

Their order of knights worked on a robust ranking system.

First came the recruits. The dregs of society that the Ordeal recruited through connections or applications to bolster its numbers. A recruit would be promoted to a knight once they could prove to the Round Table that they were proficient enough at using one of the primary types of weapons. Swords, longswords, rapiers, halberds, greatswords, waraxes, battleaxes, maces, warhammers, morning stars… the list went on. Natsu's was his greatsword, but he was still learning to use it properly.

A knight would next become a Paladin once they could prove that they were proficient at the use of any kind of magic. Some extraordinary knights could use multiple types of magic at once, but these came by rarely. And none had appeared in their order in a long time. The last such magician was… centuries ago.

Natsu's was his fire magic. Fire magic was supposedly the most powerful form of magic to ever exist, ancient and frightful beyond belief. Natsu, for one, coupdnt use it properly. He could only create sparks out of his hands, and heat his body to an unnatural degree, but beyond that, he couldn't manifest fire. His protctor had said that it was a wastage of a legendary skill. He groaned. Magic always eluded him.

A Paladin was finally promoted to a Sentinel once they passed through intense rigorous training, and had made their body and spirit so strong that they could handle the heaviest armour that the Ordeal's armoury could provide—The Cloaks. These armours were massive, intricately designed and definitely weighed tonnes. Natsu had seen a handful of sentinels in his life. They were massive beasts, not speaking much, letting the intense and fearsome clattering of their armour do the talking for them. It was said that an average sentinel could destroy massive armies all by themselves. But there was also the fact that no sentinel in their order was just 'average'. All of them were war heroes, some having slain dragons single handedly, some having destroyed legions of pirates and pillagers and raiders all alone, and some winning entire wars with a click of their fingers.

Natsu knew it was a long road to get there. Maybe… he wouldn't get there at all.

He walked outside the tent, and into the hubbub of the encampment. It looked like he was the last person to have gotten off the bed. Everyone else was already going about their duties, preparing for the long march, checking their horses, sharpening their weapons, duelling and perfecting their techniques, barking and following orders, shouting rallying cries and claims of victory.

Natsu looked around at the sea of gleaming armours, the numerous knights with their basic armour and red flowing capes, while the legendary paladins with their advanced and beautiful armour and their regal blue flowing capes. Some thousand villagers from the town of Oldkeep had gathered around to watch the royal knights go about their duties.

It was not everyday that they would get to see an army of knights and paladins straight from the capital ride off to battle the demon king in a final duel of fates. Hundreds of years of war was finally coming to an end. This was a big deal.

As Natsu looked around, he saw his friends standing in the distance, dressed in their armours.

As he started to walk towards them, he suddenly halted and stepped back as a horse almost ran into him. The horse raised its two front feet up in the air and neighed loudly.

Natsu exhaled uncomfortably and stepped back further, looking up at the Paladin that rode atop that horse. He was a tall man, dressed in a gleaming and extensively polished clean armour that reflected the sun brilliantly. The man pulled the reins on his horse and calmed it down, after which he started to stare at Natsu, almost glare at him through the grills on his beautiful helmet. Natsu could feel his eyes digging deep into Natsu's face, and he felt nervous and startled for a moment.

Soon, three more horses came about and stopped behind the Paladin. Each of them carried a Paladin on them. Natsu stepped back further, and got down on his knee, showing his respect to his senior officers.

"What happened? Why have you stopped?"

One of the newly arrived Paladins asked.

The paladin that stared at Natsu continued to do so, then slowly looked back.

"Nothing. I was… looking for Titania. Let's head back. We have a long distance to cover."

He turned his head to stare at Natsu one last time, and then rode off into the distance, followed by the rest of the three Paladins as well.

Natsu watched them leave, and then slowly got back to his feet. He sighed in relief. The death stare he had just been subjected to, it felt like it would never end. Was that Paladin just offended that Natsu got in the way of his horse… or did he want something with Natsu?

Sting and Rogue, followed by Cana, Gray, Gajeel and Levy walked closer to Natsu, all of their heads turned to look at the Paladins that had just rode off.

"Natsu… you alright?" Sting asked.

"Be careful, Natsu." Rogue said, touting his usual wariness and alertness.

Natsu exhaled and nodded, and slowly watched the Paladins disappear behind a line of trees in the distance.

"I am fine." He nodded. "Who… who were they?"

"Them? You don't know?" Sting laughed in surprise. "The man you just got in the way of was Paladin Captain Jellal. The rest of them were paladins from his unit."

Natsu looked at Sting. "J-Jellal?"

Natsu exhaled in exasperation. He was that close to Jellal, and he didn't even know? Paladin Captain Jellal himself was staring down at him, almost as if he was ready to skin Natsu, and Natsu didn't even know?

Natsu felt his breaths fasten. Jellal was a mysterious and secretive Paladin Captain. Touted to be one of the closest to the king's inner circle itself. He was also a member of the secret operations unit, under direct directive of the king, and ran espionage and infiltration missions for the throne. These were all rumours and hearsay, however. Natsu knew that his true reputation was even more striking and breathtaking. It was said that he was a phantom, a ghost on the battlefield. His enemies would shiver at his alias—Mystogan, and they would sometimes completely and wholly disappear from the battlefield. He was a man of secrets and mysteries, some that would never come to light. And for those that knew what was better for them, these mysteries deserved to remain hidden forever.

Natsu calmed himself down. He looked at Gray.

"Isn't Jellal joining the march? Where did he go?"

Gray was supposed to be someone that knew the inner workings of the Ordeal intricately and like no one else. Natsu had always wondered where he got his information. Maybe Gray was just observant.

Gray of course knew the answer to that. "No. He was about to join the march, but the king sent him a message this morning, calling him back to the capital. The king is keeping most well known paladins and sentinels back at the castle. Maybe he fears an attack on the capital or something."

Natsu wondered about that. Why would the king keep the most powerful of the knights away from this battle? Wasn't this battle a big deal?

"I see…" Natsu muttered. "So who's here then?"

Gray looked around. "About twenty sentinels and a hundred paladins in the assault force. And 30 sentinels in the siege unit. Including… including him."

Natsu stared at Gray, falling quiet. His friends looked at each other as well, all silently and a tad bit anxiously. They were talking about the Hero.

Sentinel Captain Laxus. He was a beast amongst knights. Swinging his lightning magic charged greatsword around, bringing death and destruction of his enemies in the battlefield. Right now, he was at the Sand Bastion, laying the greatest siege known ever to the demon's forces, waiting for the assault unit to get there so this war could finally be finished. It was said that Laxus was a reincarnation of the olden deities of war and destruction, reborn in this timeline to take the battle to the demon king once and for all and finish his reign of terror. It was said that he had defeated several of the demon king's generals all alone. And that only he could defeat the demon king. And after all that he had achieved at his very young age, Natsu was sure that that would happen. That Laxus would drag out the demon king from inside the castle and split him open down the middle. That was his destiny. That was his purpose. And no matter how terrifyingly strong and robust the demon king was, that was well within Laxus's capabilities.

There was a disturbance in the crowd of knights. Everyone around Natsu and his friends started to flock towards one area. Natsu watched them pass by him, and slowly joined their tails. Something was happening.

"It's time for the addressing." Sting said excitedly. "Sentinel Captain Gildarts will speak to us before the trek begins. I have been looking forward to this."

Natsu stood behind rows of paladins and knights, all looking at a stone dug into the ground in the middle of the encampment. The stone was empty, but Natsu knew that whoever was to address them would stand atop it soon. He looked at the banner of the Ordeal dug into the ground next to the stone flying and fluttering in the winds. It was blue in colour, clean and glowing, yet tattered and torn at the edges. Natsu looked at the symbol on it. It was a lion's face, with lightning shredding out of its eyes.

That lion was supposed to be Sentinel Captain Laxus, leaking lightning. He was such an important figure in the Ordeal that the new banners had been made in his reminiscence. And how could he not be important? He was the Hero. Destined to slay the demon king.

Natsu watched as someone climbed atop the stone. It was a Paladin, known from their blue cape and their gleaming armour under the brilliant sunlight. Scores of Paladins stood behind this one, all looking at the mass of people before them waiting to be addressed.

The paladin that had climbed atop the stone leaned closer to another paladin behind them and whispered to them. The other paladin responded, at which the first nodded and then stood straight.

Natsu wondered who that was.

The paladin standing atop the stone removed their helmet, and who was revealed from under… took Natsu's breath away.

It was a female paladin, with long and beautiful red hair fluttering and dancing in the winds. Her intense dark eyes dug needles of exhilaration and excitement into Natsu's heart, and her handsome and pointed nose followed from her tough forehead. Her jawline was sharp, and her skin gleaming and dazzling under the sunlight, slightly tan.

Natsu… had never seen such a beautiful woman before. His breaths stayed hung in his throat, and his heart skipped beats like there was no tomorrow. This paladin was… gorgeous and breathtaking.

"Oh god…" Cana whispered. "Paladin Captain Titania… she… she was here?"

Gray smiled, impressed by the legendary female knight. "No. She rode overnight to Oldkeep. She was sent especially to join the assault force and oversee its safe travel to the siege site."

Sting laughed. "Well, if she's here. We have nothing to fear. The war had already been won."

Rogue clamoured in. "We can't let her do all the work. We need to do our duties properly."

Natsu didn't listen to what they were saying. His eyes and senses were stuck at the beautiful sight he was seeing. What he was looking at… who he was looking at, he wouldn't ever have even dreamt of imagining someone as beautiful as her even in the most beautiful of his dreams. His heart beat frantically inside his chest, and the cool atmosphere of the hills surrounding the encampment suddenly heated up. He had… never felt this way before.

Titania corralled her hair behind her ear, and started to speak.

"Our enemy sits miles away from us, behind the cover of mountains and forests, jeering and laughing, paying no mind to the great siege that has been placed beyond his castle gates. That is because as strong as he is… he is cunning. He definitely has tricks that he is reserving for the moment we knock down his doors. He will exploit any weakness we have, any doubt and fear in our minds, any anxiety and temptation that we might showcase or not. Be wary of the darkness that hides behind the walls, around the corners, along the sides and behind you. Don't lose sight of yourself in this war. You all carry worth. Great and irreplaceable. I would hate to see you hurt… or worse."

She paused, and the winds did the talking for a while. She shut her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them.

"Today, I have a request. To all of you. Take care of yourself. We are going to fight our greatest enemy yet. Don't… don't endanger yourselves. Don't act on impulses, and don't let the enemy trick you. I care about each and every one of you deeply, and I will do everything in my power to protect and defend you. I am even ready to lay down my life for you. But should I fail, believe in yourself. Believe in your strengths and abilities, believe in your training, and believe in your sword. Ultimately, you are your own greatest protector. Always remember that."

She raised her fist in the air.

"To our safe journey, and to victory."

The knights and paladins before her raised their clenched fists in the air.

"TO VICTORY!"

"AD VICTORIAM!" Natsu's friends yelled.

Everyone started to disperse. Natsu kept his eyes on Titania for as long as he could, before she turned around and jumped off the stone and put on her helmet. Natsu felt his heart sink. That was it for today, he guessed. Maybe… maybe he would get to see her again. Someday.

Sting stretched his arms and punched his palm. "I am fired up. Her speech was great. I don't know why she didn't talk about the Hero."

Rogue interjected. "Because that was the point of her speech. She didn't want our individual worth to be overshadowed by that of the hero. She is understandably cautious and alert in her approach to this war. I admire her."

Rogue and his talks of alertness and caution.

Sting teased him. "You are besotted with her."

Rogue shook his head. "I respect and admire her. She is a hero. I wish to become like her one day."

Sting looked at Natsu. "Hey… speaking of besotted. That cute initiate girl is really into you, Natsu."

"Huh…?" Natsu mumbled. Who…? What…? He didn't care about anyone else. All he cared about was… Titania.

Sting straightened up. "Speaking of her…"

Natsu looked at him, and then where he was looking. There, he saw a young, tall and slender white haired woman approach him, a smile on her fair and beautiful face.

Natsu remembered her. She had talked to him many times before.

"Natsu. Hi." Lisanna said.

Before Natsu could respond, Sting jumped in between. He sent his fingers through his hair and smiled flirtatiously at Lisanna.

"Initiate Lisanna. My name is Sting. I am a respectable knight of the Ordeal. I was wondering if I could steal you away for an evening after I return from slaying the demon king. Just you, me… and my sword."

Lisanna's eyes twitched at the weird advance, but she kept smiling respectfully, yet awkwardly.

Rogue thwacked Sting over the top of his head and dragged him away. Sting groaned.

Levy, Cana and Gajeel left too, to join the marching line that was being formed on the road. The march was beginning.

Gray looked at the march, and then at Natsu.

"Don't take too long, Natsu."

Natsu nodded. Gray left.

Natsu watched the march line starting to take form. The Sentinels took the head, the Paladins took the body and the Knights like him joined the tail of the march. Some climbed atop their horses and some atop the carriages.

This was it. The final stride of the great war. Coming to an end right before his eyes. He would be a part of history. A small part, but a part nonetheless.

Lisanna approached and took Natsu's helmet off. She lovingly caressed Natsu's hair behind his head, and then his cheek. Natsu stared at her.

She shook her head. "Nothing. I just wanted to look at your face once before you left."

Her smile vanished. She looked down and held Natsu's hands between them. "Please, Natsu. Take care. I… I would like to see you return safely. To me."

Natsu wondered what the matter was. Did she have something to say to him? He changed the topic. "Where… where is Paladin Mirajane?"

Lisanna shook her head. "I don't exactly know. Sister is back at the capital. She is running some covert ops for the king. Many paladins and sentinels are back there. I… I don't know why they wouldn't be sent here."

Natsu had wondered that too. The question of why the king wouldn't send his best knights to the final battle approached his mind again. What was he planning?

Lisanna tapped Natsu's shoulder, bringing him out of his thoughts. He looked back at her.

She had worry in her eyes. "Tell me you'll be careful, Natsu. I can't see you being hurt."

Natsu blinked. Maybe she was just worried about him. They were friends. Of course she would be worried. He was going to fight the demon king. No matter if he didn't actually have to fight him. The Hero had to do all the heavy lifting. Natsu was just there to show his face.

He smiled and placed her hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

"I'll be fine. You'll see me again. I promise."

Lisanna wiped her eyes and nodded.

Natsu put his helmet back on, and joined the march. Lisanna waved at him.

The final stretch of the great war. The war that had been going on for centuries, finally coming to an end here. Now. In a few days, the Ordeal will slay the demon king in front of the whole world and re-establish order and purity from chaos and disarray.

The march began, thousands of armour clanking together. The sound of their clanking… was it the sound of their victory?

Or their crushing defeat?