The opening begins with Blue Pegasus' Magic Bomber Ship, Christina, soaring above the clouds and below a dark, ominous, purple sky, flying straight towards a massive structure which is the Zentopia Church as lightning flashes across the air. Then, we see a shot of Christina, flying straight towards the audience's view as it rapidly grows closer. We eventually see Natsu standing on the figurehead, three-point style, determined and ready to fight as his eye overtakes the screen.

Now, we see the Infinity Clock in a room somewhere inside Zentopia, the screen slowly panning upward as a black Fairy Tail symbol flies in. Then, the red letters that make the Fairy Tail logo materializes in a blinding flash of light. After that, the black Fairy Tail symbol on the logo begins to glow brightly, its light overtaking the screen.

Dareka no tame dake ni namida o nagasu
Koto ga dekiru kimi dakedo

Now, we see Lucy as a child, on her haunches and crying in a cold, dark, void. Michelle then appears and comforts her by gently rubbing her head. As Lucy looks up smiling, she ages until she's her usual seventeen-year-old self. As we see Michelle's headshot with a blue sky with clouds background, she smiles back at Lucy, but then day changes into night, and as we pull away from her, Michelle is shrouded with light, disintegrating into sparkles as she disappears.

Naiteru kao o miteru to waratte shimau nda
Kimi o aishite yokatta to...

Next, we see the Oracion Seis, looking as menacing and evil as before as we slowly pan upward. Jackpot and Richard, aka Hotyeye, are on the bottom, Racer in the middle, Cobra on the top right, Angel on the top left, and Midnight on top. After that, Lucy and Brain walk past each other, their faces looking grim. Then, we see Natsu, Willy, and Byro all walking in separate directions, the background being the town of Fiore being seen from up above, Natsu walking forward, Midnight going to the right, and Byro is going to the left.

Dakara douka semete kono te ga
Todoku kyori ni ite hoshii

Byro turned around, gazing upwards the sky as we pull away a bit. Then, the rest of the Legion Platoon appears next to him, starting with Sugarboy, then Dan, Mary Hughes, Coco, and Samuel. That image turns into a reflection of a strange eye, revealing to belong to a strange creature that's green, stout, has a long neck, and a box for a head with two antennas upon pulling away. The peculiar creature eagerly strikes a pose taking the screen's right side, while Brain, under the disguise as Cardinal Lapointe, appears on the left.

After that, we see a burning landscape, which was the remains of a church. Amongst the flames, we see an ominous shadow walking through them, the shadow having one glowing eye, its hair jutting out like an umbrella, and holding a sword and shield in each of her hands.

Then, we see Hoteye, Richard, and Angel. Both men were staring into the distance, while Angel gives a sideways glance. As the background is the night sky, the wind blowing about the clouds and their hair and clothing. After that, Wendy, Erza, and Gray erratically fly on the screen, each character in their battle stances, ready to fight.

Namida nagasu toki wa kono te ga
Sore o sotto nuguu kara

Now, we see Coco and Mary Hughes on the screen. Coco taking up the right side, the colors being eerie light green, as the girl lies there on the floor looking despondent, and a mid-shot of Mary Hughes, looking stressed as she leans against the wall, her side being red.

Pantherlily and Samuel stand back to back in their battle forms, amongst a fiery landscape while Happy and Carla zoom into view, Carla looking innocent, and Happy determined. Kinana comes into view; her eyes empty yet filled with tears as the body of a large purple snake winds its way around her as she pulls away. Cobra fades into view, and the two are eventually standing back to back while the head of the snake is shown in the middle, Kinana looking towards us while Cobra looks straight ahead.

Dareka no tame dake ni namida o nagasu
Koto ga dekiru kimi da

Gajeel, Mira, Lisanna, Elfman, Gray, Ichiya, Erza, Wendy, and Warren, are standing outside Christina, resolute for the mission at hand. At the same time, Ichiya poses, and we pan to the right start with Gajeel and ending with Warren. Natsu leaps off a peak and attacks Brain with an Iron Fist spell, only for Midnight to duck and dodge. Natsu attacks again, this time Brain not only dodges, but counters with a fist infused with magic. Both of them then attack each other with devastating punches, which creates an explosion of their powers.

Mousukoshi jibun jishin no tame ni namida o
Tsukatte mo ii nda yo?

We now see Gildarts and Laki are standing back to back, surrounded by a group of unfriendly people. After that, we see a shot of Willy letting out a roar, his magic aura explodes into a pillar, while a maniacal Silver Beard watches with interest. Then, Lahar and Doranbolt are walking in a dry landscape, side by side, except that Doranbolt is wearing street clothes and looks more raggedy than before. Next, we see a young girl with short blue hair carrying a green Nicola celestial spirit, staring up into the sky, and then turn around looking at us, smiling sadly. After that, we see the Infinity Clock high above in the sky, releasing a shower of light that rained down, as the girl, which was the one illustrated in Key of the Starry Heavens, gazes up at it.

Dakara douka semete kono te ga
Todoku kyori ni ite hoshii

As the light rains down, Lucy is falling as well, unconscious, and spinning around. Natsu is running across the landscape, desperately trying to catch up to Lucy.

Namida nagasu toki wa kono te ga
Kawari ni namida nagasou

As Natsu continues to pursue Lucy, he trips and falls to the ground, tumbling, and the shot of him is reflected in Lucy's eye as it starts tearing up. Finally, Lucy and Michelle are standing back to back while holding hands, intertwining their fingers under a starry background as transparent images of Natsu, Willy, Midnight, and Byro appear as the opening ends.

Dakara douka... Soba ni ite

Chapter 157

The Hunt for Info

After managing to get away from that little situation, I went as far away as I could from Magnolia, making sure to stay hidden in the night. Eventually, when I was far enough away, I stopped to take a rest, catching my breath as I sat on the ground by a tree.

"Good freaking grief. That was way too close. But somehow, I get the feeling that I'm going to regret it later on down the line. At least, I didn't hurt Lucy or that spirit of hers. Well, since I can't exactly go home to my apartment and sleep, I might as well sleep out here."

I made myself comfortable, making a pile of leaves a makeshift bed. Then I lay down, taking off my mask, and tried to go to sleep. Unfortunately, I couldn't. I couldn't help but lie awake on my leaf bed as I stared up into the sky with everything that happened.

"Oh well. I suppose I get used to being alone. I mean, this isn't the first time I've been out all alone like this. I'm used to it by know. But then, why do I feel so lonely?"

I turned to my side and tried shutting my eyes while breathing in and out. I even tried to count sheep, but I was still awake by the time I reached to one hundred, but I still couldn't get to sleep. As I stared up into the starry, I thought about everyone back in Fairy Tail. And the more I thought about them, the more I began to realize that I missed them along with Magnolia. The apartment, the Strauss sibling's place, even the tavern. However, I kept telling myself that I couldn't be bothered to have those feelings, while shutting my eyes.

"Come on, Willy, stop it. You can't afford to be sentimental right now. Besides, this was the only result. You knew what was going to happen when the truth came out. At least now, you have the chance to make things right. Now, you have to sleep. You can't afford to fight without getting a good night's rest."

I once again rolled to my side, and relaxed my body while breathing steadily like I was meditating. After a while, I felt my consciousness begin to slip away as I finally fell asleep.

My eyes then opened, finding that the forest had disappeared, and I found myself lying on the couch in the room inside my head where the girl with the blue and green dress resided.

"Oh, no. Not this again."

I sat up and was about to say something, but then I took a look at my surroundings in the room. Normally, the room would be blue with green stripes, but this time the color scheme was different. The room was now decorated with green with blue spots, the spots being pretty small. The couch had also changed in color, now having strange wavy green lines like snakes. And that wasn't the only thing that I noticed had changed.

When I glanced over at the tank, I saw that the three fishes were still inside it. One of them was blue, another being green, and the last being black. The blue and black fishes were pretty small, but the green one was even bigger, about four times the other two's size.

"Where did that fish come from? I don't remember seeing it before. And why is it so big? It looks big enough to swallow up the other two."

Just then, I heard the sound of someone humming a little tune. Sure enough, the girl, or should I say, the woman who resided here entered the room. Only she now looked more like a woman than ever before, having to have grown taller in appearance and buxomer then before. When the woman saw me, she smiled in greeting.

"Well, now, you're back. And it looks like you're all alone this time."

"Yeah, and so what if I am?" I huffed. "By the way, how did you grow up so fast? And what's with the change in decor?"

"Oh, nothing special," said the woman. "Just thought the room could use some changes. After all, you've undergone some changes yourself, dear Willy. And imagine my surprise when you decided to separate yourself from your so-called friends. I'd say it was the wisest decision you've made. Now that you've severed your ties with them, you're going to take my advice to heart?"

"And what if I am?" I asked coldly. "I don't see how any of that matters to you."

"Ever the pleasant company as always," sighed the woman as she sat down next to me. "But that's what I like about you. So tell me, do you intend to handle this fellow that wronged you all on your own? If that's the case, then you're going to need my help to pull this off, if you intend to beat that fellow along with the Oracion Seis."

"So, you know what I've got planned, too, eh?" I sighed. "Well, if you already know, then there's no point in explaining myself. And I'll do whatever it takes to take them down. Even having to get your help despite how annoying you are."

"Come now. No need to be so mean," the girl spoke, feigning to be hurt. "After everything I've done for you, I would have thought that you would think of me as one of your friends, too."

"You don't exactly look like the friendly type," I said. "More likely, you appear to be someone that wants something from me."

The woman then scooted closer to me, resting her hand on my thigh as she leaned in close. "Can't you be a little more welcoming, my dear?" she cooed. "After all, I was the one who showed you the way to power, and yet here you are, rejecting it as well as me."

"Let's get something straight. I may be relying on you to access this strange power I have inside me, but don't act like we're friends," I said coldly. "At this point, I can't trust anyone or anything anymore."

"Now, that's not entirely true," said the woman sweetly. "I'm not like those so-called fair-weather friends of yours. You can believe in me. All you need to do is say the word and-"

"I know, you'll show me the way to a world of power and so on," I interrupted. "I've heard you say the same thing constantly, so why even bother telling me this again? It's starting to annoy me."

"Because you're still not taking the next step to obtain it," the woman spoke, now stroking my thigh. "You still keep clinging to your sense of reason, hoping to have control. But you ought to know that what you have is not something anyone can control. What happened to the man from before? The man that was willing to throw caution to the wind and dive into uncharted waters, unleashing his unstoppable rage?"

At that moment, I lightly pushed the woman off of me and stood up, taking a few steps away from her. "Let me answer your question with one of my own," I said, turning towards her. "Why do you even care? Why are you so obsessed with me wanting to use that power?"

The woman then sighed as she leaned back on the chair, crossing her legs. "I only want what's best for you, my dear boy," she said coolly. "After all, you have so much potential, and yet here you are wasting it by holding your punches. Didn't it feel good to let out all that rage and hate you've had pent up inside you? To become so overwhelmingly strong that no one could stand against you? I'm still willing to bet that you're still keeping it bottled up, am I right?"

I clenched my fists in response, not saying anything.

"I'm going to take your silence as a yes," the woman continued. "While that's not good for some people, but in your case, it makes things better. If I recall correctly, feelings can fuel a person's magic, making them stronger than before, and with the feelings, you're experiencing, your power will build up more and more until it explodes like an active geyser. I wonder what fireworks I'll see when that happens?"

"It doesn't matter. All that matters to me is killing that bastard Silver Beard," I said. "If I have to die to kill him along with the Oracion Seis, then so be it. Is that what you wanted me to say?"

The woman then laughed as I felt her arms wrap around my body, tracing my cheek. "My god, that's what I love about you, Willy," she spoke with a hint of giddiness. "The way your eyes grow cold and yet filled with a burning, fiery glow. That's the kind of thing that draws me to you, makes me attracted to you. So much so that it makes my body quiver in delight. I'm looking forward to seeing how much you grow and what choices you'll make. Until then, I wish you success in accomplishing your goal."

The next day, I woke up and made my way over to Oshibana after taking a train ride over there. Soon enough, I arrived there, and was now making my way to The Vulcan's Head by foot. I couldn't risk getting seen by anyone in case anyone was searching for me, so I made sure to stay in the shadows while not using my magic as I went about my way.

Eventually, I managed to make it to Oshibana and was on my way to The Vulcan's Head. It was the afternoon by the time I arrived. When I got there, I marched straight inside and looked around, trying to find Beard Boy, but I didn't see him anywhere.

"I wonder if he's even going to be here. Well, since I've got nothing else better to do, I might as well wait around for a bit. Maybe he'll show up later on tonight."

I walked over to the bar, and took a seat on one of the stools. The bartender then came up to me, and knowing that he was going to ask me what I wanted to drink, I immediately told him what I needed.

"Just a cup of water for me, thanks. And make it ice cold."

The bartender gave me a nod and then went off to fetch my drink. After a few seconds, the bartender returned with a cup of water filled with ice. I took the cup and gulped it down in a matter of seconds. As I set my cup down, enjoying the cool refreshing taste in my mouth, I happened to overhear voices coming from behind me.

"Hey, did you hear about that crazy chime everyone heard the other day?"

"Yeah. That sure was freaky. It was so loud. I thought my ears were going to bleed."

I glanced back, and saw a group of wizards sitting at a table close by me. Taking a bit of interest in their conversation, I eavesdropped on their conversation while the bartender gave me another drink of water.

"So, you guys have any idea what that was?" one of them asked. "From the way it sounded, it was like a clock chime of sorts."

"It could be, but then again, I don't know," said another. "I don't think anyone knows for sure what that sound was. However, rumors are floating around that it came from a freaky clock."

"Well, it certainly did sound like one," said a third. "I wouldn't be surprised if it was a weird magic item or a prank."

"Never mind all that," said a fourth. "There's even more freaky stuff going on right now."

"Like what?" wondered the first wizard.

"Didn't you hear about it?" said the fourth. "The churches from all over the continent have been attacked over the past few days. "

"That's old news, dude," scoffed the second. "Everyone's heard about them."

"Yeah, but I've heard that the attacks have increased over the past few days," said the fourth. "Now, there's hardly any churches left, and to make things worse, no one has any idea who's causing it."

"Now that you mention it, I heard some knights talking the other day," said the second. "They mentioned seeing two people fleeing the scene, a tall guy with a weird boxy face, and the other was a guy that looked like a girl."

"There are only two people I know that fit that description," I thought. "Midnight and Richard. But, why do they even need to attack the churches? They have the Infinity Clock, so what's the point? Unless there's something else, they've got going on in their plans."

Then I had an idea.

"Wait, if the Oracion Seis are targeting the churches, then that means I have a chance to find out where they're hiding! All I have to do is find a church and wait for them to show up. Then once they do, I'll follow them back to their base and then take them down! The problem is finding a church that's close by, considering that most of them have been destroyed."

"Are there any more churches left in the continent?" asked the second wizard. "I mean, with all of them burning down, there has to be some that are standing, right?"

"Well, if I recall correctly, there should be one close to Akane Resort," said the fourth. "I think it's one of the last ones still standing. Hopefully, that one doesn't become a target."

"Akane Resort, huh? Then that's where I'll go. I was planning to go there anyway to talk to Swanson, but now I guess there's no need anymore. Besides, given my last experience at his club, I don't want to get ambushed again. Especially with the destruction I inadvertently caused in my last fight. But if I plan to go to the Akane Resort, I'll have to find a quicker than the train and don't require me to use my Aqua Wings. I'm going to need all the power I can get."

I then took out my map from my pocket and skimmed it over, starting from my current location and to the Akane Resort. That was when I noticed the lake that surrounded Clover Town. It had a river that ran along through a forest and eventually led to the ocean to Akane Resort. Seeing this gave me an idea.

"Since the river leads to the back of Akane Resort anyway, I can get there by Water. It's way cheaper than taking the train, and I won't have to worry about anyone seeing me. But as far as the church goes, it's probably somewhere in the forest. I'll have to search for it on foot when I get close to it."

With my next move planned out, and I folded up my map and went on my way, my destination now set. I wasn't sure what would await me if I got there in time, but it was an excellent place to start as long as it would help me get the drop on Silver Beard and the Oracion Seis.

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Dragomaster, signing off!