Fried's Justu Shiki stood stout, and invisible, around the Blue Pegasus guild hall, with an even more reinforced once, having been built over several days, lay around the Broken Wizard healing chamber. The refugees that were unable to fight had been scurried away, hidden in an old cellar for a few days while Laxus, Makarov, Ichiya, the Thunder Tribe, Bob, and what few wizards were among the refugees waited and pretended they weren't in for the fight of their lives.
Fried's enchantments would clue them in on any movements, any sneaky things, that the assassins could try to pull off.
The magic pressure coming from all around them was clear enough that though the enemy likely wanted to sneak in and deal quick, easy blows, they also wanted those within the guild hall to be afraid.
Ichiya absorbed his perfumes while Bickslow sent his puppets to scout. Evergreen remained vigilant, aware that she was their signal flare, she was the one the Empire knew to target. Makarov continued to stand on his own, head bowed and arms crossed as his brow furrowed in concentration.
Laxus was much the same, though he had his head on an anticipatory swivel. In all likelihood, the Ethereal Witch and the Lightning God Slayer would return, along with whatever assassins they thought to tag along. Maybe those Garou Knights, though the Fairies dealt with them pretty—
"Stay alert, they're here!" Fried hollered.
Laxus tensed. Fried's enchantment was bound to the Twilight Empire—none loyal to it were meant to be able to get through. They were perfectly well-guarded in a forcefield that none should be able to get through.
So why, then, was Laxus sensing a magic power that dwarfed any he'd ever felt before getting closer?
"Eyes up, Laxus," Makarov said, at last coming out of his meditation. "They're here."
"I know, gramps," Laxus said. "Fried just pointed it out."
Makarov shook his head. "They're already in the building."
Laxus's ears perked, the hairs on his neck stood, and his reflexes took over as four kunai dug into the wood pillar he'd just been leaning against. Evergreen gasped and whipped around as their assailant vanished, Laxus only just catching the tail end of his appearance.
A black void opened in the center of the room, several orbs shooting out of it to decimate the area, striking several of the refugee wizards and Ichiya, who deflected the one striking him back into the void that only rebounded back out.
Smoke bombs poured out of it, almost leaving the place in complete disarray were it not for Makarov's Wind spell undoing the smoke, but unveiling the towering, macular presence of that monstrous Lightning God Slayer, who'd already locked eyes with Laxus.
"Lightning God—!"
The husky Ichiya slammed into the Lightning God Slayer, punching him straight in the face, and, with all that rippling muscle, sent him flying away, through an opposing wall.
"Deal with the Ethereal Witch!" Makarov shouted, sweat pouring down his brow. "Laxus, on me!"
"Where?"
Makarov raised his hand and shot a beam of light toward a shadowy corner of the room. The beam stopped in place, but when Makarov closed his fist, the beam exploded, and revealed the one who'd caught it:
A man with a major five o'clock shadow and balding black hair smirked back at them. He wore a skull on his forehead and had a long chin. He wore a fine black suit with a blue shirt beneath, and fitted black gloves he adjusted with ease.
"I'm surprised you spotted me, Makarov," the man said.
He had the power Laxus had been sensing. The power that all of the others combined couldn't even match. A power greater, even, than Makarov.
"You're their Captain, then," Makarov said as another explosion rocked the room.
The Ethereal Witch dove away from Bickslow's onslaught of attacks but was stopped by Fried's own attack, sending her flying out of the main lobby into the foyer. Meanwhile, below, Ichiya and the Lightning God Slayer were locked in battle, Ichiya bouncing around all of the black lightning bolts and vengefully striking back.
"I am. Proud of it, too."
"You're not from Ishgar," Makarov said. "I'd have heard of a wizard of your power."
"Nah," the Captain said. "I'm with the folks that came over from Alikitasia. Maybe before your little nap, you'd have heard of the Spriggan Twelve?"
"I have," Makarov said, his fist balled. "Then, leader of the Hunter's Division...you're Jacob Lessio. The Assassin."
"At your service." He bowed dutifully. "Proud to have the chance to assassinate yet another Wizard Saint. Perhaps Iron Rock Jura won't be too hard to find if he learns he truly is the final Saint left on Earth-land."
The rogue refugees busily dealt with the other assassins that poured into the room, gathering their attention but hardly standing a chance.
"Gramps," Laxus said.
"No," Makarov said. "Trust me, Laxus. We need each other for this one. The others will take care of it, I promise."
As if on cue, Fried whipped around with his blade and a dark arc of magic blasted back some of the others, including one attempting to lash Fried with a rainbow whip. The Ethereal Witch attempted to take advantage of the distraction but Evergreen kicked her back.
The Thunder Tribe was working in complete sync.
Lightning flickered around Laxus's fist.
"So how do we want to do this, then?" Lessio asked. "Makarov, you're practically on death's door. Step up, first, and then I'll get rid of your grandson."
"How do you know so much about us?" Laxus asked while Ichiya knocked the Lightning God Slayer through another wall, this time into the war room.
"I make it a point to know about my targets, especially the high-profile ones," Lessio said. He adjusted his gloves. "Come. Let's get this over with."
He swung his arms out but held nothing there. Makarov braced. Laxus did the same, trying not to tremble beneath the awesome power the man held within his hands.
"Just hold tight, Laxus," Makarov said. "Once we get the proper opening, we've guaranteed our victory."
"Words are simple, old man," Lessio said. "Try backing them up."
Makarov raised his arms, and then brought them together. A magic circle formed in them, and, at once, rays of light blasted out of the old man's hands, ushering with them enough wind and force to shudder the corridor's walls.
Lessio smiled and deflected each of the bolts of light without breaking a sweat, even going so far as to seemingly pocket one of them away.
"Good warmup, then," Lessio said. "And you, boy?"
"Yeah, I got more than just a warmup," Laxus said and stepped forward. "Lightning Dragon Roar!"
Lessio kept his grin and waited for Laxus's attack to almost reach him before attempting to bat it down. That was when Makarov made his move, shrinking the attack such that Lessio swung forward with too much gusto, losing his balance.
Laxus took full advantage, moving so fast that Lessio only had time to notice the lightning Laxus left behind before Laxus punched him through the wall. Lessio vanished into the room. Laxus flared his aura and leaped away, feeling the sting of an invisible blade cut his arm while Makarov advanced.
"He uses Stealth magic!" Makarov exclaimed. "He'll go undetected, only a bright light will suss him out, Laxus!"
Makarov flared his own white aura, and the power of the saint revealed Lessio standing where the two Fairies previously had. Laxus caught himself on a banister.
The Ethereal Witch continued to struggle against the Second Origin activation of the Thunder Tribe, while Ichiya and the Lightning God Slayer exchanged equal blows, the refugees holding the line against assassins attempting, and failing, to get into the Broken Wizard chamber that Lessio stood near.
"This is all so silly," Lessio said and swung his arm out.
All of them, each of the assassins and wizards, vanished in an instant. Laxus's heart leaped to his throat but he didn't let it deter him from joining Makarov as the old man lunged at Lessio, who glowered at the old man.
Makarov threw a massive punch at Lessio that he blocked, and he also blocked Laxus's incoming attack with relative ease, then flung the two aside. Laxus caught himself and blitzed back, feinting twice at Lessio before leveling a kick against the man that he only just managed to block.
He was a combat genius, this one, easily able to read Laxus's moves despite how fast they were.
Rays of light pursued Lessio, ones that he easily blocked. Lessio slid to a halt. Makarov chased after him, darting around weapons Lessio threw with abandon, toying with Makarov still until the old man was close enough that he threw a fist Laxus almost missed seeing, it was so fast. Makarov stumbled, blood spilling from his lip, and Lessio flung a kick at Makarov that sent him spiraling away.
Laxus landed before Lessio and after two jabs, a cross, and one feint with his elbow, had Lessio right where he thought he wanted him, primed to be blasted by Laxus's aura, but Lessio swept beneath Laxus's legs. Laxus dodged back. Something sharp stabbed into the ground where Laxus had been. Laxus got back to his feet, quickly.
Lessio glanced over his shoulder, to Ichiya as he struggled against Orga. Lessio pursed his lips.
"You next, I think," Lessio muttered, and charged.
"Don't let him get away, Laxus!" Makarov roared, and from his hands, a massive gale of wind swept against Lessio, who vanished and reappeared on the other side, still chasing Ichiya.
Makarov's massive fists, moving fast, punched Lessio away, spurring Laxus into action, darting after the Assassin.
"Lightning Dragon's Breakdown Fist!"
The spell, too fast for Lessio, slammed him into the ground. He swung his arms away from the smoke fast enough to almost block Laxus's attack but Makarov was there, right next to Laxus, unleashed a powerful fireball right in Lessio's chest. Lessio skirted back, lowering his arms and summoning forth, no doubt, more weapons.
Behind Laxus, taking up the great space of the lobby, raged the battle between the Thunder Tribe and the Ethereal Witch. Evergreen kept up with Minerva's physical body while the boys dashed and avoided her spells, each using the other to grant an opening for attack.
Then, they'd switch it up, with Bickslow and Evergreen playing from a range—Evergreen having to utilize her Fairy magic—while Fried used his sword up close to cut through her Territory magic. It kept Minerva completely on her toes, completely unsure of what to do.
It was quite unlike the brutish battle taking place between Ichiya and the Lightning God Slayer, which had no clear end in sight. That, Laxus figured, was why Lessio wanted—
The Assassin darted away, swerving between Laxus and Makarov without even attempting an attack, which got their defenses confused. Laxus pursued.
Ichiya was too slow to realize what was going on and when Lessio merely tapped him on the shoulder, the man vanished. Orga took advantage.
"Lightning God's Charged Particle Cannon!"
Laxus's eyes widened, but before the attack could land, Makarov's massive body was flung in front of Laxus and took the hit. Black lightning arced everywhere.
"Gramps!" Laxus shouted, at once aware of an approaching Lessio, who landed blow after blow on Laxus until the Lightning God Slayer was at last sent wheeling away.
It was Orga's turn to go in pursuit as Lessio turned his full attention to Makarov.
Laxus dodged Orga's surprisingly slow strike and punched the Lightning God Slayer in the gut, then elbowed him aside to move back to help Makarov, who struggled against Lessio's fast blows. He tried to create shields but Lessio dispelled them with ease.
Lessio was simply too great, too strong. Laxus gritted his teeth and landed a strike but it was like he shoved Lessio rather than actually landed a strike. Lessio blasted Laxus back with a wind strike as Makarov wheeled a raging fire around himself to shove Lessio away.
The Thunder Tribe's battle spilled out of the room. Laxus glanced back at Orga behind him, then to Lessio adjusting his clothes again, as if he were just going through a minor setback.
"Really didn't think you boys could put up much of a fight, but I do think you'd be too much even or his dumb ass over there," Lessio said, casually waving at Orga. "Go on, Laxus, finish him off. I'll wait to kill you, and your pops, until then."
"Like hell!" Laxus roared, but Orga charged.
Makarov did the same, advancing on Lessio. Lessio glanced back and rolled his eyes.
"Fine."
He held his hand out, stopping Makarov's punch dead in its tracks.
Then, Makarov was gone.
Orga's hit landed as Laxus's mind blanked. Laxus knew a fast pain, then a lingering and quite throbbing one in his shoulder, where Orga had struck him, and he was within the rubble of a wall.
Makarov...
Gone?
"Go on, Orga, why don't you hurry up and prove yourself? Kill him."
He did so, punching Laxus even while Laxus was on the ground, yet Laxus hardly felt each hit. He replayed the moment over and over.
Makarov was there. And then gone.
It was faster than a blink. Faster than lightning.
No.
It couldn't be. It couldn't be that simple. Makarov was a Wizard Saint. Makarov was...
Guild Master of Fairy Tail, but what did that mean in a world without guilds, without light? What Fairy Tail was even left?
Orga cackled as each of his hits struck Laxus.
Beneath Laxus, and in the room where Lessio casually strolled, was the future of Fiore's safety, but who cared if one could simply be whisked away and undone like that? What was the point of standing up to a threat like that?
Laxus's fist clenched.
Orga's foot stamped on Laxus's chest.
"Just like the rest of the Fairies, all dead, all too easy," Orga said. "Even you, little Dragon Slayer!"
Time slowed as a fist wreathed in black lightning made its way down toward Laxus, who lay, in a bloody heap, within the potential ruin of Fiore's final guild. With one final strike, the memory of what Fiore had once been would be gone forever. The menial jobs, the stupid arguments, and, most of all, the joyous harmony all guild wizards shared within their respective halls.
There was only one reason worth fighting back against a threat that could issue death so easily, one reason at all to continue running, hiding, and living another day against this enemy:
To know that the joy of the world was still out there. A joy ripped from Laxus as a young man but one Makarov clung to so tightly.
One Makarov would never want Laxus to give up on.
Just before Orga's punch could crush Laxus's face in, a strike so fast, so strong, so terrible that it broke the walls around them, landed in Orga's face, sending him flying clear of the building.
Lessio had hardly a second to react as Laxus remerged, already chanting,
"Resounding through the air, the roar of thunder, plunge from the air and reap destruction!"
He held his arms aloft, dark billowing clouds forming visibly through the holes of the roof.
"Raging Bolt!"
Lessio attempted to dodge but the strike was so fast, so powerful that it consumed much of Laxus's magic, that he couldn't make it and was instantly struck, blasted back, but still very much alive yet not much farther back from the chamber that he could never enter if the Empire were to fall.
"You like hunting wizards?" Laxus's voice boomed, like thunder itself. "Try bringing this one down, Assassin! Lightning Dragon Roar!"
Lessio clearly considered blocking but went against it, dodging right into Laxus's lightning-mode fist. Lessio swung back, striking Laxus, who was already realizing the damage he'd taken from Orga.
Still, he fought on, not giving Lessio an inch as if Lessio wanted to give Laxus one. No, he wouldn't whisk Laxus away, because Laxus was a direct threat, one that had to be dealt with and punished. Thus, Laxus fought. And struggled. And bled.
And would not fall.
Eventually, the two broke apart, Lessio having sacrificed much of his magic while Laxus was definitely on the final breaths of his own. Much more pushing and he wouldn't be threatening his own physical limitations, but his life force as well.
It didn't matter. He'd take down the Assassin no matter what.
"You better be ready to die, Spriggan," Laxus muttered.
"Oh, little Fairy," Lessio said with a smirk. "So overconfident. Come on. Gimme your best shot!"
Makarov's words rang in Laxus's mind.
Look for an opening. Then, he'd be victorious.
Laxus charged and stopped short, and roared,
"Lightning Dragon's Iron Hammer!"
Lessio tried to step back but the torrent of lightning coming from Laxus's fist crashing into the ground still caught him by surprise, leaving him in the air, exposed.
Laxus reared back an attack, but his body locked, magic refusing to come forth.
"Lightning Dragon—!"
Two figures appeared, from thin air, just over Lessio: one a familiar man, and the other a regal woman with jade hair and a sword glistening with the power of the stars over her head.
"Celestial Art: Solaris Rotation!"
Laxus's mind caught up that the woman was, indeed, Princess Hisui. Her sword caught Lessio's coat, bringing him to the ground, as her fist slammed into his gut and power exploded from all around him. He roared in pain before laying limp for a mere moment.
Said moment was more than long enough for Mest to finish clamping anti-magic cuffs around Lessio, who rolled around, attempting to escape, but was stopped by a short man, arms folded.
"You thought yourself the only one capable of subterfuge, Assassin?" Makarov asked.
Ichiya appeared behind him. "Meeeen. I truly thought us lost there, dear Makarov."
"He's only capable of putting us in a pocket dimension, though I'm sure he could've killed us if Laxus hadn't bought Hisui the time to get here," Makarov said.
The battle overhead, in the rafters between Minerva and the Thunder Tribe, came to a rapturous halt as Minerva shot down, sliding to a halt near the rest of the assassins that'd freshly appeared.
Makarov raised a hand toward them, a familiar power welling up within him.
Fairy Law.
"I'm ending this!" Makarov roared.
"Get out of here!" Lessio barked. "All of you!"
Without hesitation, despite much anger from Minerva, they did, either disappearing into her Territory spell or through their own teleportation spell.
Lessio's head fell back in disgust.
"Just do it all—"
Makarov punched him in the face, and the Assassin fell unconscious immediately.
Bob emerged, clapping for all of the wizards. Hisui beamed at him.
"Oh, my little dear!" Bob exclaimed and wrapped Hisui in a hug. "It is good to see you safe and sound. That was quite the hit you landed."
"Wouldn't have meant much if Mest and Laxus hadn't acted so fast," Hisui said, still smiling. "Just needed to stun him."
"Did you know about this?" Laxus asked Makarov.
"Of course."
"And you didn't want to bring it up?"
Makarov shook his head. "If you knew it was coming, you wouldn't have gotten as aggressive as you had to. You'd have played for time, which ultimately would've gotten us all killed."
"So what should we do with him, then?" Mest asked, poking Lessio's body.
"I think there is a good bit he can answer for, and to," Hisui said. "We'll wait until he wakes, and then, we'll get what we want from him. Bring him away."
Laxus sighed. His muscles hurt. His entire body hurt, too.
"Go see Porlyusica, Laxus," Makarov said. "She'll heal you up."
"You're good?"
"I'll be fine. You took the real hits there. And got the real win."
Laxus shrugged. The Thunder Tribe proudly joined everyone else.
"Laxus."
He glanced at his grandfather, who nodded to him.
"You did us all proud today. Not just those of us here, but all around."
"This is our first true victory against the Empire," Hisui said. "Capturing a Captain is something I thought so far beyond our capability. If the world gets wind of this? I can only imagine the ripples this will cause."
"Hope," Laxus said. He spared a quick grin for his grandfather. "It'll give them hope again."
Sting and Yukino watched as their servants packed everything away into the train binding them for Crocus. Though they abandoned the fight, to honor Axel's promise to keep them alive in exchange for Lucy surrendering herself to him, spies of the Twilight Empire continued to search for Fairy Tail.
Unfortunately, they'd lost track of them not long ago. But it didn't matter. Natsu and Erza would show up in Crocus, either to fight or to help try and rescue Lucy. Their business with Fairy Tail wasn't over, and, if anything, the Empire knew what those wizards were capable of. Sting knew he could defeat Gray and Elfman, now it was a matter of beating Natsu.
"How about it, then?" he asked Yukino. "We've captured a little Fairy. I did it. I ordered it, Yukino. You said I had no free will. I think that proves otherwise."
She remained silent for a moment, then, "You truly didn't know about Lector?"
Sting's stomach sank. "No."
"He was your best friend, Sting. And for all we know, he's irrevocably become something else. Do you know what that means? He's dead."
"He's not—"
"And if he isn't, then he's with your enemies. And you're here, going home?"
Sting balled his hands together. "What will be enough for you, then? Hmm? I have no free will, I don't care about anyone. You're painting me as a monster, Yukino. Get over it. I was had. I'll talk about it with...whoever it was that's responsible! I'll put them in their place, and I'll wipe out Fairy Tail, Kagura, and whoever is in my way!"
"Is it your way still?" Yukino asked. "What is your way? Your path?"
"It's to..."
He stopped, setting his jaw. He couldn't think of any way to answer beyond one using the Empire as a clutch.
"It's to protect you, and the people close to me," Sting said at last.
"Which would include Lector."
Sting didn't let his shoulders slouch nor his head fall. He showed no signs that Yukino was absolutely right in case any of the servants, spies for other Divisions, heard.
Of course, it included Lector.
"What did he do to deserve this, Sting?" Yukino asked. "When you can answer that question and when you can genuinely tell me what he did, why this happened to you, I think you'll start to see what it is I want from you."
She stepped away from Sting toward the train as power began to generate through it. Sting watched her go, the woman he loved above all others, the one person in the world he was, at any moment, ready to protect. Yet she wouldn't even spare him a second look.
And she didn't the entire ride home while Sting did little more than stare out to the countryside he helped conquer and remember all the places he once traveled with Lector, the jovial little Exceed, turned to little more than a prize for the Empire to sell off.
END OF ARC 2 - GRAND MAGIC GAMES