Just a heads up before you all read, has announced that they'll be disabling email notifications from 2023 onwards. So, if you want to continue getting notified about this story, you'll have to manually go to your profile, and set Email Opt-in to yes. It's a boneheaded decision, I know, but I can't do anything about it, sorry.

Sasuke and Ultear circled each other, both cautiously eyeing the other as they brandished their weapons; Sasuke with his sword and Ultear summoning her orb. Sasuke's right eye turned red as he dashed forward, attempting to strike first.

"To be able to cut loose, such occasions are rare" Ultear fired off her orb, which Sasuke easily dodged only to realize that another had been summoned, and another and another, until a dozen or so orbs were flying around everywhere. "A battle with a member of the Grimoire Heart is an honor very few get to have. So, be sure to entertain me."

Her taunting wasn't just for show; no matter how hard Sasuke tried to get close to her, the orbs kept obstructing him in obnoxious ways. As he evaded one of them by moving aside, that same orb caught him by surprise as it struck him from behind, and before he had a chance to realize what was happening, another quickly moved in him from the side, to which he jumped out of the way, only for another to attack him from above. Deflecting the orb with his sword, Sasuke landed on the ground only for the previous orb to strike him from the side, sending him back a few meters.

The Uchiha had known of her fighting style from their previous encounters, observing her moves but unlike other projectiles, which simply moved in one direction and didn't stop, her orbs could move back, almost as if they were being controlled by her. Thinking quickly, Sasuke flipped back, slammed his blade to the ground, and conjured up the hand signs.

"Fire style: fireball jutsu," he said, taking in a deep breath before belching out a stream of fire that burnt through the orbs and straight at her. Rather than look worried or even try to move out of the way, Ultear simply smirked as she reached out her hand toward the flame. As if on command, the flames dissipated until there was nothing more than embers flying about, all without having barely touched her.

Sasuke narrowed his eye and clicked his tongue as he bared his teeth, gritting them. "Is that all you've got?" Ultear taunted, raising her hands as the destroyed orbs magically repaired themselves. Without wasting another breath, Sasuke conjured up another hand sign, summoning electricity through his left hand, and propelled himself forward as fast as he could while holding the sword with his right hand.

Using the Chidori, he struck every orb that got in his way, hoping to reach Ultear before she had time to repair them. But just as with his fire, Ultear raised her hand forward, and all of a sudden, the electricity in Sasuke's hand disappeared with a whimper and cackle. Sasuke's single eye widened, but he quickly adjusted and made use of his blade as he jumped into the air and brought his weapon down on Ultear, who summoned a sword of her own out of thin air and blocked it.

As the two warriors locked blades, their eyes met with neither of them willing to give an inch. Sasuke's face was stern and serious while Ultear in contrast, was calm and playful. But by this point, the Uchiha had realized that her confidence wasn't just some false bravado; she had a trick up her sleeve. What he didn't know, was that her trick consisted of causing his sword to slowly change color to orange and brown as it began to become inexplicably rusted. "What!? How?" He wondered out loud, dumbfounded as Ultear shattered his rusted blade, forcing him to roll back as she swiped her sword at him.

"How adorable? Is that all you've got" She continued teasing as she summoned an even larger number of orbs, around a hundred or so, to her side before sending them straight at Sasuke. The Uchiha deftly bolted and evaded his way through as many as he could, his enhanced perception allowing him to anticipate their moves. Moreover, now that he realized that they could move backward, Sasuke opted to even the playing field by taking out a scroll and summoning a large number of kunai and shuriken, blasting them all in every direction, letting them take the majority of the assault. Sadly, it was not enough as the sheer number of orbs became too much for Sasuke to bear, even with his Sharingan as each of them struck him all at the same time, forcing him to push through the pain as they sent him flying and rolling through the ground.

Ultear began walking towards Sasuke, while her orbs floated next to her. "Admittedly, you're quite skilled…admittedly" she stated with a genuine tone of respect hidden amidst the expression of condescension.

"Sasuke!" Lisanna yelled out, desperately making a bolt towards him, only to be stopped in her tracks by an enormous pillar crashing down on her.

"No!" Sasuke cried out in response, but it was cut short as a barrage of orbs began assaulting him from every direction. With each strike, another one quickly struck him from another direction leaving him with little time to recollect.

"You've put up quite a valiant effort, I'll give you that much" Ultear admitted as she watched her orbs continue to bind Sasuke in place with a continuous volley of strikes, " But this is the end of our paths; Infinite sphere."

On her command, the orbs began to replicate themselves and attack Sasuke from every single direction. Not only that, they continued moving in a binding loop, attacking him in the same spot over and over again. "With this, you'll be trapped in a never-ending cycle of pain, forever…. Or until my magic runs out, which is unlikely to happen for a very long time."

"Goodbye, Sasuke Uchiha" she bid farewell as she clenched her fist, while her orbs continued assaulting Sasuke who was screaming in pain. The victory was hers.

"I see. So that's how it works"

Ultear blinked upon hearing Sasuke's voice echo from an unknown origin. "What?" she asked herself, her jaw hanging from the sight she was witnessing. The whole world around her seem to crack like a broken mirror as she frantically looked around before the world itself eventually shattered, revealing unto her, the reality that had existed all along; In front of her was Sasuke, battered and bruised but fine, all things considered, without any of the orbs in his vicinity. Turning back, she saw that her minion had fallen and Lisanna had come to Hisui's aid, who had also regained consciousness.

"An illusion? Since when?" she said, turning around as she looked at Sasuke.

"Since you looked into my eye" The Uchiha answered. "Originally, I had hoped it would keep you in place and put you to sleep, but you're more resistant than I expected."

Recalling their supposed encounter since the beginning, Ultear realize that ever since they locked blades and she stared into his strange eye, she had been under his world since then and that he had most likely figured her out. Rather than panic, however, Ultear remained composed and chuckled at the thought of it all, "Oh well, study all you want. If you can't beat me even in an illusion, what makes you think you can beat me in the real world?"

The battle at the royal palace intensified as the wizards and the knights held off the invading force of Tartaros cultists.

Despite the overwhelming numbers placing them at a disadvantage, the combined leadership of Jura and Arcadios rallied their forces to a stalemate for the moment.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu bellowed out a large quantity of fire from his mouth, burning every creature in its path, while the rest ducked for cover.

His blue feline companion grabbed him from his back and carried him over to the next area where the battle was at its thickest. "Natsu, ready to do your thing?" he requested.

Natsu responded with a confident grin, "Ha! You got it buddy! Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!". As he yelled out his attack, fire engulfed his fist which he thrust straight ahead while Happy assisted in pushing him forward, allowing him to carve a path through the cultists.

Not to be outdone, Ichiya reached into his pocket and took out a vial containing an unknown potion. As he released the cork, the potion dissolved into gas, which he then inhaled. Suddenly, his body mass began to increase as his muscles expanded until they tore through his shirt until he resembled a tiny behemoth. "Witness my power parfuuummm! Maaaan!" he shouted out while flexing.

A few pseudo berserkers, former humans who now resembled humanoid animals, tried to take advantage of his showboating by jumping at him from behind, only to be swiftly knocked back by a casual backhanded slap. As they tumbled through the ground and reeled in pain, they were surprised to discover that this goofy-looking person's strength had increased tenfold, enough to match or even surpass theirs. "You underestimate us!" Ichiya pointed towards them before jumping towards them himself as he yelled out, "Now let me show you the true power of Ichiya Vandalay, the ace of Blue Pegasus! Sparkle to infinity!"

The creatures trembled in fear as they watched Ichiya spin his body at an alarming speed toward them. Once he was near, he slammed his fist into the ground, releasing a shockwave that sent them flying away. It didn't take long for a loud thud to emit amongst a sea of creams as the cultists lay on the ground, unconscious while Ichiya stood amongst a sea of bodies. "You shall not pass, so long as I breathe, meeeenn" he declared, striking his usual pose in the middle of battle.

Realizing that the tide of battle was turning against them, one of the cultists of Tartaros lit a signal that flew into the air. "Release the Elephantaur!" he shouted.

No sooner had he said that did the earth begin to shake as everyone stopped and ceased their fighting as they tried to make sense of what was going on. Even Natsu and Jura were taken by surprise.

"What is happening?" Arcadios said, his face showing concern at the turn of events.

The ground beneath Ichiya cracked open and an enormous elephant stood on its hind legs with frontal limbs shaped like human hands. The Blue Pegasus mage could do little but stand still, frozen by fear as a lumbering beast breathed into him through its trunks while its tusk bared itself clearly from his behind, causing his muscular body to tremble in fear.

Ultear goaded him to go for her again, and just like before, Sasuke bolted straight for her and she responded in kind by sending her orbs after him. As he swiftly all of their strikes, Sasuke did something that he didn't do in the previous loop: he took out a small ball from his pocket and tossed it towards her, exploding in a puff of smoke that obscured her vision. "It seems you haven't learned anything at all. There is nothing you do that cannot be undone" she gloated, making the smoke disappear in an instant, only for her face to widen in fear as Sasuke stood right next to her.

The purple-haired girl flinched momentarily as she summoned her sword to take a swing at Sasuke, expecting him to take out what remained of his own and have it destroyed. Instead, the Uchiha grabbed her arm, spun around, and flipped her over to the ground, disarming her in the process. Before he could grab her again, however, Ultear began decaying the ground beneath Sasuke, forcing him to jump back as the surface fell into the dark abyss.

"Parallel worlds" she invoked her favored spell as her orbs began multiplying in large quantities. "Luminous minutes" she beseeched, sending the orbs in a singular direction. Rather than fight against them, Sasuke used them like launching pads, jumping off of them before blasting lighting in every direction, destroying the orbs before they could turn back time, and dove straight for Ultear, causing the both of them to roll through the ground.

"Let go of me!" Ultear yelled, struggling to escape Sasuke's grip on her right arm until, in a fit of panic, she summoned a sword from her left hand and attempted to bring it down on Sasuke, who easily intercepted it by grabbing her left wrist. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Ultear used both of her feet to kick herself off of him, freeing herself from his grasp.

Picking herself off the ground, Ultear watched Sasuke simply dust himself off and stare blankly at her, as if the actual fight had only just begun. She growled in anger as the boy began taking the fight to his advantage, letting out a frustrated snarl as she dropped both her hands, causing the two pillars next to Sasuke to drop down as well to which Sasuke dove forward to escape the collapse.

Her eyes narrowed as she was the one who was gritting her teeth in annoyance. She tried to summon a stray orb to strike him from behind as he ran towards her, only for him to effortlessly destroy it with Chidori. Once his back was turned, Ultear took advantage of the momentary distraction and tried to strike him from behind but that endeavor turned out to be fruitless since Sasuke was able to quickly dispatch the stray orb with his Chidori before spinning to face Ultear and send her flying with an upward slash.

As Ultear flew through the air, Sasuke leaped as well, disarming her sword, taking control of both of her hands, and crashing them both onto the surface. Once they were up, Sasuke forced her right hand behind her back, squeezing it tightly while wrapping his left arm around her neck, subduing her. Try as she might and regardless of how hard she grunted against her restraints, Ultear was helpless to free herself this time.

It felt like things had turned for the worse for the defending knights as the "Elephantaur" began running roughshod over their forces. With one swing of its arms, it sent grown men flying across the courtyard, a single stomp from its feet shook the earth and sent men trembling to their feet.

Natsu however was not put off by this display of power. "Here I come!" he roared and charged at the best with Happy carrying him, his fist engulfed in flames, only to be swatted away by a casual slap before his punch could even connect, sending both of them flying to a nearby wall, knocking them out.

Amidst the sea of fallen bodies, the Elephantaur slowly marched its way towards a single lone figure; a trembling Ichiya, who, despite his muscular body, shook violently almost as if he was about to wet himself at the sight of such a beast. "I..mah….mah…ah…..ar" he garbled out gibberish, incoherent sentences, his face dropping down to a terrified expression as the best grabbed him by the leg and spun him around like a toy.

"This….is….too….much!" the Blue Pegasus mage screamed out as vertigo got the better of him, with his brain being scrambled from the sheer momentum of the spin before eventually getting flung into the air until he was nothing more than a twinkle in the sky.

Arcadios regrouped with the surviving knights, staring at the rampaging creature with a pained expression. "This is too much" he insinuated, looking at the devastation around him. Their monster had taken down dozens of his top knights and two of the allied wizards. All hope seemed lost.

"Allow me" a voice called out from behind as Jura stepped forward, his steely eyes fixed on the Elephantaur and it on him. He was the strongest among all of them and it was likely their best chance at besting the creature, but that was a big 'if' to him.

"Jura…are you sure?" he questioned whether or not the bald wizard of Lamia Scale would be able to handle it.

Jura, however, didn't say a word, instead simply standing still and waiting for the monster to come closer to him as it charge forth. It was a battle that would decide the fate of the King; the unstoppable force against the immovable object.

Hisui and Lisanna looked on with open jaws, with the Princess in particular amazed by his combat skills. "He's amazing!" she spoke out loud with amazement at the boys' extraordinary fighting skills.

"I know right!? He's one of the best in our guild!" Lisanna added praise for her guildmates with pride and a wide grin.

"It's all over" Sasuke stated, holding onto Ultear tightly, who was unable to loosen the grip he had over her.

After a few more seconds of frantic resistance, Ultear finally seemed to give up as she relaxed. "Well done, no one has been able to push me this far," she said with a defeated sigh.

"You can talk all about that once we're done interrogating you. Until then, just keep quiet" the Uchiha ordered her.

Rather than obey or even show signs of worry that she might be captured, Ultear snickered at the audacity that the boy displayed, an act that took everyone by surprise. "Oh no…. this fight is far from over. I SAY when we're done" she proclaimed with a sadistic grin.

The earth began to shake violently as Sasuke and Lisanna looked around in surprise. Seeing what was happening, Sasuke tightened his grip around Ultear, only to feel an unbearable chill from her touch. "What are you doing? Do you want to risk losing your life?" he asked, doing his best to maintain a hold over her but he was beginning to lose feeling in his arm as it became number from the cold. Was this another one of her magic? One she didn't reveal to him.

"Should you be focusing on me?" Ultear gave a subtle warning, staring menacingly at Lisanna and Hisui as well as the minion who regained his senses.

As he looked towards his master, he desperately reached out his hand towards her, pleading with her to not proceed with whatever she was doing. "Lady Ultear, please don't do this. I beg of you!" he cried out, yet it fell on deaf ears as the ground beneath them collapsed, sending all three of them plummeting to the abyss.

In that instant, Sasuke watched with a look of horror as the three of them were sent falling to the depths of the mountain. Even if Lisanna could fly and she could carry Hisui, it was a risk he was not willing to take. Before he could do anything, however, the momentary distraction was more than enough for Sasuke to not notice that the ground beneath him had become unstable until it was too late and he was sent plummeting down to the earth below.

Once the boy was out of view, Ultear walked to the edge of the crumbling platform with a look of doubt; not for the notion that he might die but rather that he might live, given how resilient he was. Even if she didn't openly express it, Sasuke had pushed her to her limits and might have won had it not been for the ace up her sleeve. The very thought of his near victory made her clench her fist tightly in rage. "Congratulations, and goodbye" she bid farewell with an indignant nod before walking away, empty-handed. She would have to find something of importance to return to Hades, lest she incur his wrath. Perhaps, if he survived, then it would ensure her survival as well, something that pained her to even snicker at in a cruel twist of irony.

…...

As he descended through the mountain cavern, Sasuke noticed a small blip that got larger and larger as he continued falling, eventually revealing themselves to be Lisanna and Hisui, the former struggling to keep the latter afloat. This was all the while, trying to evade the falling debris that was plummeting alongside Sasuke.

"Lisanna!" Sasuke called out to her, diving headfirst straight for the duo while Lisanna tried her best to get the both of them closer to the Uchiha. Once he was within range, Sasuke snatched Hisui from Lisanna's talons and threw a wire string to a nearby wall with which he pulled the both of them towards. Once he touched the wall, he screeched his momentum down to a halt, using his chakra to stick to the vertical surface.

Under normal circumstances, Hisui would be astonished by his ability to stick to walls, since she had never seen that kind of magic before, but at the moment, she was far too terrified of looking down to care. "Hold on tight" Sasuke instructed, to which Hisui was more than happy to comply, clutching his shirt as tightly as she could. Before she knew it, they were both in the air once more as Sasuke jumped for the larger debris that was falling, bouncing off of them with impeccable timing. This continued for a few more seconds until they were close enough to the ground, upon which Sasuke rolled once he landed while covering her with his back.

Once she opened her eyes again, all Hisui could see were one stern eye and another covered, yet the fear of that face had dissipated, given what the boy had just done for her. "Are you all right?" he asked, gently settling her down.

"I'm fine" she meekly answered, dusting herself off.

Lisanna joined in soon afterward, transforming back to her normal form once she touched the ground. "Hisui, you're okay!" she happily exclaimed, running up to her and patting her shoulders.

"Thanks to the two of you" she expressed gratitude with a laugh.

Sasuke meanwhile inspected one of the rubbles and began to move the debris, one by one as a phantom revealed itself. Once he had cleared enough, he was handed an image of a lying figure, motionless on the ground, his hand clutching tightly to the rag that Ultear had discarded. Perhaps, he spoke too soon about her supposed compassion if she was willing to discard even her minion like this. The first thing he did was check up on his pulse and it was predictably absent. Taking the rag off of his hands, the Uchiha got up, turned around, and approached the two girls.

"Sasuke is he…." Lisanna asked, to which Sasuke solemnly answered with a gentle sway of his head. In that instant, the young Strauss gave a dejected "Oh" before looking up at the boy.

To her surprise, Sasuke placed a hand on her shoulder and gave a firm nod, without saying another word, he began walking past her and Hisui, as Lisanna awkwardly looked on. She was unsure of how to feel about this. She had never been on the receiving end of his cold shoulder despite witnessing it on many occasions, it certainly felt…awkward.

"What was all that about?" Hisui walked up to her and asked.

"I…honestly don't know" Lisanna answered.

"I'll find us an exit. Follow me" Sasuke called out from the other side of the cave that they had ended up in.

Lisanna and Hisui looked at each other as Lisanna spoke first, "We should probably follow him."

"Yeah" Hisui nodded in agreement.

It wasn't long before they were out of that cavern as they saw light at the end of the tunnel. The three of them had to shield their eyes with their hands as the light of the sun momentarily blinded them from walking around in the dark for too long. But at the same time, the warm rays of the sun were a welcoming sight as well.

Unfortunately, they had little time to bask in the warmth of the sun, for in the distance, they saw a large smoke emanating from the direction of Crocus. "Oh no, the city!" Lisanna pointed out.

"Father and Arcadios…...what's happening!" Hisui clutched her head with anxiety, unable to bear the thought of the two people most precious to her being in danger. "We have to get there as fast as possible!" she exclaimed, her pleading eyes looking straight at Sasuke and Lisanna, "You have to help them please!"

Lisanna tried to calm her down and ease her worries, "Don't worry Hisui we're on it…right Sasuke?"

Sasuke simply responded in kind with an empathic "right" and shrugged, taking one last good look at the rag before shifting it to one of his pockets. The king had a lot to answer for and this piece of cloth was the evidence. Why was it so valuable? He shook off those thoughts and motioned for the two of them to follow him. He wasn't sure if they could make it in the time given how drained Lisanna and Hisui were, and he couldn't abandon them either. Even so, he did not doubt that Jura and Natsu would be able to repel them, with Happy and Ichiya's aid.

Sasuke just hoped that his faith in them was validated.

As they re-entered the city, Sasuke, Lisanna, and Hisui were surprised to find it relatively intact, albeit not without a lot of commotion from the citizens. While the royal palace had erupted into a big smoke, the rest of Crocus was untouched. There was relief in knowing that the damage was contained.

"Is that Princess Hisui?"

"What's she doing here?"

The three of them marched through the streets of Crocus, with Lisanna and Hisui looking on with unease as crowds of onlookers stared at them in bafflement, hearing their hushed whispers while Sasuke ignored them and pushed forward.

While the outer portion of the city was completely fine, it became clear the closer they inched toward the capital's palace, the more ruined some of the structures became. By the time they reached the gates of the palace, there were signs of devastation everywhere.

"Oh no!" Hisui gasped, looking at the carnage all around her. "Father!" she cried out as she ran past Lisanna and Sasuke, making a mad dash towards the place where she was familiar.

"Hisui wait!" Lisanna called out to her but to no avail. She looked at Sasuke, who gave a firm grunt, letting her know that they both had to catch up to her.

Signs that a fierce battle had taken place were everywhere, with broken bodies of knights and cultists alike littered all over the place. As Hisui ran past them and Sasuke and Lisanna followed, a few of the surviving knights watched with a look of disbelief as their princess returned to them as the other two trailed behind. Lisanna looked worried about how many injured there were, but Sasuke saw it as a sign that it wasn't a total loss, given that the very presence of the injured being cared for indicated that it wasn't a total elimination like he had feared. Admittedly, the cultists were crafty enough to directly assault the Royal Palace that quickly, which meant reinforcements from the res to the royal army were unlikely to come to their aid quickly. His only concern was the safety of Jura, and Ichiya but especially Natsu and Happy.

His worries were laid to rest once they had entered the royal garden after some directions from one of the surviving knights. There in the center, stood a bruised and battered Natsu, Happy, and Ichiya, who was lying on a stretcher while Jura stood atop the fallen body of an enormous beast that a long trunk. Given the devastation all around them, Sasuke could only speculate that it must have been one hell of a battle that he missed, though he was relieved to have his trust in their abilities be vindicated given their apparent victory over the monster.

"Father?" Hisui's voice trembled as her eyes were fixed on one single figure that stood alongside everyone.

"Hisui….is that you?" Toma looked back, slacked-jawed.

"Father!" Hisui ran towards the king with tears in her eyes, embracing him tightly once they were in proximity.

"Hisui! My child!" the king himself broke down in tears as he hugged back.

As he watched the reunion between father and daughter, Sasuke's eye trailed towards his comrades, whereupon he realized that Lisanna had already made her way to a bruised but fine Natsu and Happy, both giving her a cheeky grin as usual. On the other side were Jura and Arcadios, with the former consoling the fallen knight as his wounds were being tended to.

Reaching for his pocket, Sasuke intended to deliver the sacred treasure that King Toma had been protecting all this time, but the moment all eyes were set on him, something within him refrained from revealing this item for the time being. In the faces of his comrades were looks of relief and approval, especially from Natsu and Jura, while the king seemed ever so grateful even if he didn't verbally express it.

Given what they had just gone through, Sasuke sighed and withheld himself from taking the cloth out. For now, he was going to let father and daughter find joy in knowing each other were safe and sound. The questions could come later.

Weeks went by and further attacks on the capital had ceased, with the remaining dark guild forces seemingly having gone into retreat. It would seem that the attack was simply either a last-ditch effort or a distraction. Regardless, the restoration of the palace went by quickly, much to everyone's surprise and by the third week or so, things looked back to as they were before. But to those who knew better, like Sasuke or Jura, the scars of this battle would likely remain for the rest of the survivors, even if the King had announced a ceremony to coronate them as "heroes".

For a certain someone, such occasions were ill-suited to his taste. He did not need recognition or praise at this point in his life. The one person whose approval he sought had long been dead and returned as a completely different person. At this point, he was perfectly content with his comrades taking all the credit. That and the outfits that he was forced to wear were embarrassing enough already; which consisted of a black tunic with a white toga draped around his shoulders and a crown of flowers over his head.

Sasuke rested his arms on the balcony of the palace overlooking the city. The view was certainly magnificent and befitting of the grandeur and power the ruler of this kingdom wanted to display. But true power did not need to flaunt, it could simply crawl in the dirt if it chose to as he could attest. The large, imposing mage of Lamia Scale joined up and leaned on the balcony, standing next to Sasuke. The crown of flowers that was also on his bald head made him stand out even more since the center of his head was exposed and glistened with shine.

"Are you not going to join up with the rest of us?"

A light breeze blew past the both of them, bringing with it a refreshing cool gust. Taking it all in, Sasuke glanced at the big man with his remaining eye and replied "It's not my thing. What about you? What are you doing here?"

"Me?" Jura referred to himself, "I was sent here to find you. The coronation cannot begin without you."

Sasuke continued staring at the view of Crocus as he sighed, realizing that they would naturally inquire about him. "They can start without me. Tell them I went somewhere or that I disappeared" he suggested.

Jura silently looked at the boy with an amused smile. "Are you sure? Your guildmates would be quite pleased to see you join them, not to mention the princess herself, since you saved her life" he persisted, "After all, you have genuinely earned their respect and the praise that will be given to you."

"It's not about getting praise or recognition or anything like that. I'm mostly past those things" Sasuke insisted, "it's just… my place isn't with them. Natsu, Lisanna, and even Happy" he chuckled, "I don't deserve to be standing next to them. They have a future, one better than mine."

Rather than look bemused by his answer, Jura smiled. "It never gets easy, does it?" he began, staring up at the sky, "to have witnessed the worst that this world can offer, while others remain blissfully ignorant of it."

"Wait," Sasuke said, looking up at Jura, "You don't mean to tell me…"

"Even if they are not visible, I can tell you bear the scars of pain and suffering. I am quite familiar with it, since it comes with being on a job like this."

With a heavy sigh, Sasuke faced away from Jura and looked back at the door leading to the balcony while he leaned back against the railing. "Tell me….is that why you covered for me? Back when you brought me back from that dark guild's lair."

"Among other things" Jura answered, "During our time here, I've noticed that Natsu, Lisanna and the blue cat adore you and look up to you like an older brother. I did not wish for their perception of you to be shattered, should you be found wanting as a traitor. That is why I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt."

So, it was a lie, one borne out of a desire to protect the innocence of the three kids in his guild. Hearing Jura's answer brought back a wave of memories of Itachi. How his world was shattered when he discovered his beloved older brother turning into a monster, how his mind was further broken when he found out the truth of the ordeal and how it took his fallen brother being honest with him to finally start shaking off his darkness. Jura's actions were similar yet so different at the same time. For a while, Sasuke remained quiet and only gave an indistinct "…..."

"Childhood dreams are easily crushed by this world. It's all the more reason to protect them, don't you think?"

"Is that so? Would that explain why you went on to investigate the matter on your own?" Jura inquired.

"Yes," Sasuke quietly answered.

"If that is the case, then my reason for protecting your image is the same" Jura gave his reply, "I'm glad my faith in you was proven true. I am certain that you will make a fine wizard one day and those three children will continue looking up to you as an older brother."

"An older brother" Sasuke pondered on that thought, his hands curling tightly into a ball, squeezing his palms with all of his might, grimacing at the thought of being an older brother. There was a sharp feeling of pain emanating from inside, as he looked back on the tragedies that have occurred to someone close to him, even in this world, from Erza, Shô, and Gray. Did he have any right to consider himself a brother? "Look at me, if you knew half the things I did, you wouldn't say that. I don't think they deserve to call someone like me a brother. I'm not the right person to look up to."

"Perhaps…that is true" Jura hesitantly agreed but continued speaking, "But be that as may, I have no doubt they will still look up to you. At the very least, you can ensure that they do not do down the same path as you did, whatever your sins were."

"Hmph…. I guess…"

Jura smiled, "And given what we have experienced, I believe that it is imperative to enjoy the moments we have with them."

Silence once again filled the air, but slowly, Sasuke began to unclench his fist and loosen his guard around Jura. He pushed himself off the railing and gazed at the large wizard, extending a hand, something that caused Jura to blink.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Jura smiled and extended his hand towards Sasuke's, his larger frame almost covering all of the young Uchiha's. "Jura, if there's anything you need…. you know where to find me."

"I will keep that in mind" Jura smiled and nodded.

No sooner had they exchanged pleasantries, did sounds of joyous laughter come bursting in. Turning around, the two of them saw Natsu, Lisanna, Happy, and Ichiya as well as the king and the princess approach them with Arcadios in tow.

"So, this is where you've been!" Natsu exclaimed and without regard for Sasuke's personal space, slung his arm around his shoulder, while fist-bumping his arm with his other hand, much to Sasuke's discomfort, who could only respond with a groan which was ignored by Natsu.

"We were waiting for you all day. It's so hard to keep flying around you know?" Happy complained.

"Indeed, one cannot start a party without all the guests involved" Ichiya commented, striking up a pose as his bandaged face sparkled. Even a thrashing from a monster wasn't enough to damping his eccentricities.

Sasuke was slightly taken aback by Happy's words. He knew Jura was sent to look for him, but he never thought that they would stall an entire ceremony just for him. "You could have started without me" he responded.

"And allow the one who saved my daughter to leave empty-handed?" King Toma spoke up, marching towards him with an air of warmth and dignity. "That is simply unacceptable."

"They did the real work" Sasuke pointed out to his comrades, "I just lend a hand. There's no need to waste ceremonies on me."

"You can't sell yourself short like that" Lisanna protested, "You're the whole reason everything worked out so well, so you gotta give yourself more credit" Lisanna added.

He had his doubts, but he didn't want to argue against Lisanna either. He couldn't find it in himself to turn away her genuine and earnest praise. Her kindness for everyone never ceased to make him happy on the inside. "…okay, I'll try."

"Then it's settled, you'll have to join us!" Hisui clapped her hands and grabbed one of his arms, while Natsu grabbed the other.

Sasuke resisted their pull while he stared at them with a dumbfounded look. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Trying….to …..get you to….. move," Natsu said, still struggling to get Sasuke to comply.

It was at that point that a large figure approached and grabbed Sasuke from behind through his tunic lifted him and rested him on his shoulder. "It would seem our dear friend Sasuke needs a little bit of persuasion to join us."

A baffled Sasuke was rendered speechless by this act. Every fiber of his being wanted to jump off and disappear, unable to stand this awkwardness. Yet, looking at the smiles and bashful grins of the kids around him, something compelled him to cease resisting. Perhaps, just this once…he could indulge them. Of course, that didn't mean he had to enjoy it. "You're going to pay for this, mark my words" he declared, crossing his arms.

Jura grinned. "I'm trembling already"

"All right! Now we're talking!"

"Aye!"

Ichiya raised his hands and one knee up, and proclaimed, "Then it is time to get this partay started, meeeen"

…...

The ceremony went without a hitch, and with much fanfare, at least for everyone who wasn't Sasuke, who spent the entire time with a frown on his face for being dragged into doing this, but most importantly, hating himself for playing along for the sake of Natsu and the rest of the kids. He probably wouldn't regret making them happy but that did not mean he had to like it either.

After having some fancy medals slapped into his chest and spending the rest of the evening having his energy drained from the party, Sasuke finally managed to find a quiet spot where he arranged for a meeting with a certain someone.

"I take it you have some questions for me, correct?"

"Yes"

King Toma could garner a guess as to what the boy wanted to ask when he took him aside and requested to meet up in a private area. He was certainly a unique individual, with his peculiarities, no different from the rest of his guildmates despite what he may claim. "And I take it, that it has something to do with..." Toma paused as he clapped his hands, which summoned Arcadios in an instant as he arrived with the piece of cloth, whereupon the king continued with his words and pointed towards the item in question, "this."

Sasuke stared at the cloth before he faced the king and nodded with a grunt.

"Believe it or not, this particular piece of cloth is from an era that preceded ours by centuries. It was discovered on the ruins of the old kingdom of Dragnof, the foundations of which our current dynasty presides over" Toma explained while Sasuke listened intently. The skeptic inside Sasuke nagged him to dismiss their claims as ridiculous and a waste of his time. But the inquisitive inside him argued to continue listening; to find out why this cloth was so important.

"But this isn't the only reason why my family held onto this cloth. It was founded in possibly what was Queen Irene's chamber. She is quite an enigma within the annals of history and we believe this cloth may have some connection to her."

The moment Toma uttered the word Irene, his eye instantly lit up. "Did you say, Irene?" Sasuke inquired, "Can you tell me more about her."

King Toma blinked for a moment but answered Sasuke's question without hesitation. "She was called the queen of the dragons. Her era presided over the bloodiest war in history; the Dragon King Festival. A battle that ended with the extinction of dragons and Acnologia emerging victorious. Unfortunately, it also marked the end of her dynasty and she disappeared shortly afterward, presumably having died out."

More questions came in place of answers. If Irene is the reincarnation of his mother, then it wouldn't make sense for her to be alive for hundreds of years or even exist at that time, even if time itself might operate differently as Hagoromo suggested. Or perhaps, the Irene he was referring to was a different person.

Noticing the confused thoughts of the boy from his face, Toma called for Arcadios to hand over the rag to Sasuke, who hesitantly took it from his hands. "There is one more thing; we believe there is some secret letter encrypted within this cloth, woven as codes through the tapestry. We have, however, been unable to decipher it, even with our best code breakers."

Sasuke's eye twitched as he stared indignantly at the piece of cloth. He could tell that there was something written in the form of a hidden message within the threads, but it was difficult to make out what it meant. Activating his Sharingan, some of the meanings became easier to understand though not fully. "To…my…...sister….?" he struggled to read out the words, uttering them in his thoughts instead.

"Perhaps I could be of some aid" Hagoromo interjected, "these patterns are unique but I believe I can decipher them. But without a physical body, it may take some time."

"I know, I know" Sasuke internally groaned as he approached the king.

"Have you discovered anything?" Toma asked.

"It seems to be a letter…. of sorts," Sasuke said.

"A letter?"

"Yes, the person who weaved this made it for their …sister"

"Sister? That can't be. There are no records of queen Irene ever having siblings" Toma quickly stopped himself as he grabbed his chin, "hmmm, unless it was a child of Irene herself who made it, however, there are no records of Irene ever having conceived a child."

"Who knows?" Sasuke shrugged, he was about to tell Toma that he was claiming possession of this object but relented given what had happened the last time he made demands of him, "I was hoping to hold onto it, if you don't mind that is…. your highness."

Toma and Arcadios collectively gawked at Sasuke, who maintained the same emotionless demeanor as he did before. This was the first time they had seen him address the king, let alone someone with even the tiniest modicum of respect. Picking up their jaws, Toma politely shook his head and told him, "I don't mind. Keep it as a token of gratitude for saving my daughter, it's the least I can do since you refused every other reward."

"Are you sure?"

"This thing has been the bane of my family's existence for too long. My daughter's life was put in danger because of this artifact. I think it's best to keep it off our hands now. I trust that you will not let this item fall into the wrong hands" the king insisted.

Accepting the gift, Sasuke folded it and nodded at the king. "You have my thanks."

"And you mine, young man. My daughter is here, safe and sound because of you. The little lady named Lisanna told me all about your deeds. I know you will use that gift wisely" Toma said, "I' am deeply sorry I could not be of any more help, but I hope that you will find the answers you are looking for, whatever they may be."

A silent "…..." was all Sasuke could muster up, having spent whatever energy he had left asking the king questions, which only left him with more doubts. He wasn't even sure whether this cloth would have any significance to what he was looking for, but at this point, he was willing to take in anything that could give him whatever answers he was looking for. Only because it meant a sliver of a chance that the Irene the king mentioned could be concerning the current Irene he encountered as outlandish as it may seem.

Realizing the awkwardness of the silence that had enveloped them, Toma took the initiative and intervened. "Arcadios, perhaps it is time we had a chat with the other guests and leave this young man to his bearings"

The man beside Toma perked up and stood straight, "Of course" he motioned for the king to lead him.

As the King went out of sight, Arcadios took the chance to call out to Sasuke, who looked back. "I've misjudged you. You have done a fine service for this kingdom. But try to stay out of trouble next time."

"I'll try."

The search for answers continued as more mysteries and questions kept piling up, but the battle to stop the dark guilds' plans in Crocus was completed as far as Sasuke was concerned. In the weeks that followed, he had buried himself in gaining as much information as he could regarding Queen Irene and her fallen kingdom of Dragnof. It had nothing to do with his current mission of finding out about Grimoire Heart but it was something that he couldn't let go of either.

Back at the guild, however, it was business as usual.

"I said it was a food fight! Why'd you have to punch me?"

"Because it's just fighting but with food, that's a food fight!"

"That's not how it works, lizard brain!"

"Oh yeah, then wanna show me, ice cube?"

"Bring it!"

"You asked for this!"

The moment Natsu and Gray's fists collided against each other's faces, the rest of the rowdy guild members followed, escalating the conflict to a full-on bar brawl, and much to his displeasure, Sasuke had become accustomed to it, having spent more time at the guild meant he had exposed himself to situations such as these to the point that it had become a regular occurrence.

"Juvenile" his eye twitched as he groaned. He could leave at any time he wanted, but he also wanted to make sure his focus was honed enough amidst the chaos, so the noise they were making served as a perfect way to practice his concentration.

That being said, there were a few exceptions that broke his focus. "Are you still reading?" a voice asked as a figure approached him. Sasuke took one peek through the top of his book to confirm that it was Erza before burying himself in the tome.

"The Kingdom of Dragons: A complete history of the Kingdom of Dragnof" Erza read out the title of the cover, before staring down Sasuke with a look of wonder, "I didn't realize you had an interest in history."

"It's…...a hobby of mine" Sasuke answered, "Every knowledge gained about the world is an asset."

"I guess that's one way of looking at it" Erza nodded and smiled, walking over to his rear to look at the contents of what Sasuke was reading, to which Sasuke responded by shifting his seat and allowing her to read what he was reading. To her surprise, the information in the book seemed to be well written and documented, each sentence providing painstaking detail on every finding that was available on this lost kingdom. But what struck her interest the most was the portrait of the last queen of Dragnof: Irene. "Whoa, is that…. the queen?"

"Know anything about her?" Sasuke asked.

"Not as much as you" Erza shrugged and admitted before getting up, "Okay, I'll leave you to it then and I'll make sure you can read it in peace. Just promise me you'll let me borrow that book once you're done?"

"Promise" Sasuke smiled and nodded.

Letting out a giggle, Erza turned around and stormed off toward the troublemakers. "Natsu! Gray! Knock it off" Sasuke could her shout, after which an audible *Thud* was heard twice, followed by silence.

Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief and smirked. Peace had finally returned, and he had Erza to thank for that. At that moment he remembered the cloth that had been handed over to him and what had been decrypted. As he took it out of his bag, he read through the contents once more, and with clarity this time:

To my sister,

You have not yet arrived into this world, yet there is so much that this life has to offer you. It will not always be pleasant and there will be times of great hardship and pain for you in the days ahead. Perhaps, these are not the right words a brother should convey, but, likely, this letter will never reach you or it was never meant for you to read rather simply a means for me to convey my feelings. I 'am a person whose hands have been stained by too many sins to bask in the light, I am no hero and I certainly do not deserve to be a role model, someone you can look up to.

But I digress, for I do not mean to be so dour and peevish. In the end, I believe fate has a better plan for you than it did for me. You are destined for greater things and will earn your place in the sunlight. I, on the other hand, will protect you from the shadows, ensure that you can keep your hands clean and that no darkness shall harm you.

You and I are bound by the same mother even though the circumstances of that bond are not by blood. Of course, our fathers are different as well, but that is enough for me to have a strong connection with you and I hope that you will feel the same.

To the person who is reading this; I assume you possess those same mystical eyes as I do to be able to decipher this and I can garner a guess as to who you are. You and I are quite alike in many regards, and as such, I know what life awaits you in your future. This is why I want to offer my piece of advice to you based on my own experiences. Take care of those closest to you, treat them as you would treat your own family, and spend as much time as you possibly can, for you do not know when they will be gone. I am sure you know what I am referring to.

A noticeable smirk came over Sasuke's face as he folded the cloth and hid it away again. As his eye gazed at the sight of Erza scolding Natsu and Gray, his thoughts couldn't help but return to the letter. Whoever, this mysterious person was, they valued their family and especially their sister. He could only hope that they met.

But speaking of that letter, the advice that this mystery person gave him almost felt like they were speaking directly to him as if they read his thoughts. "Spending time with them, because I don't know when they will be gone" he murmured, "I know that feeling all too well."

Far across the ocean, on another continent, Irene stood alone amidst the rocky cliffs overlooking the sea that divided Ishgar and Alakitasia. The cool winds that blew past her face conflicted with the rough and violent waves that collided with the rocks beneath the cliffs.

"Lady Irene" a servant approached and knelt before her.

"I gave explicit instructions that I was not to be disturbed," she said calmly, yet it was enough to send fear into the servant as he trembled.

"Forgive me but I come bearing urgent news" he hurriedly spoke up, hoping that his words were enough to convince her not to vaporize him this instant or worse.

Fortunately, it seemed to have worked as Irene gave out a tired sigh and refrained from killing him. "Very well, speak up"

The man let out a relieved breath before immediately speaking up, lest he incurs her wrath. "Sir Lief and Miss Juliet have come back with news. The boy named Sasuke has been found and it is said that he is with a girl with scarlet hair as well. Just as you had hoped."

"A girl with scarlet hair…..." she trailed on, thinking of the possibilities. "It seems my curiosity about the boy has paid off if the reports are to be true." She walked past the minion without saying a word as she held onto her stave tightly.

Yet the wry smirk on her face said it all. If the young girl with Scarlet was whom she hoped it would be, then things would change for her forever. Her lifelong goal could be within grasp, one she failed to take advantage of earlier.

"Now then, little Sasuke. Show me what you found"

AN: And that wraps up the final chapter and final arc of this year. I'll be taking a small break before starting the new one next year and maybe even start watching the Phoenix Priestess, Dragon Cry and the new Sasuke Retsuden. Hopefully, if I have the time, I'll finish the prequel series by 2023 and then get onto the main canon story (I've got a lot of arcs, interactions and battles I'm excited to write about). Thanks to everyone who's still reading and enjoying this story so far. It's not much, but I hope my stories kept you entertained throughout this year. Happy holidays, I hope you'll all enjoy the last days of 2022. Here's to a brighter 2023 :)