"Wait, that's him? He's Mercphobia, the Water Dragon God?" Hyde asked.
"I didn't expect him to look so…human." Jesse said.
"You who have come seeking the blood of dragons…begone at once." Mercphobia demanded.
"Finally decided to show yourself? I have been dreaming of this moment." Kiria said.
"We need to devise a strategy, cha." Madmole said.
"Please. There is nothing I can't cut. I can…huh?" Kiria said as she saw ash surrounding her and Madmole. "Skullion, don't you dare! I have been waiting for this! Don't you…." she said as they turned to ash and vanished.
"Farewell." Madmole said before both were completely gone.
"Looks like their guildmate went and bailed them out." David said.
"Yeah…and left us dealing with the Water Dragon God." Jexi said.
"I see. You're a dragon slayer." Mercphobia said looking at Natsu. "Have you come to slay me?"
"Depends. We took on a job to seal away five dragons and that could mean a number of things depending on if you're a good guy or not." Natsu said.
"Uh…what he said." Usopp said.
"I see…Elefseria. I do have to admire his tenacity." Mercphobia said. "I have history with the Law Dragon. He's been sending assassins after me for 100 years."
"Let me ask you something. Are you good or evil?" Hope asked.
"Can't say I'm either. Somewhere in between." Mercphobia said. "But I feel no hostility towards you all."
"Fair assessment. So you don't have any beef with humanity." Sectonia said.
"That means we don't need to seal him away after all." Dan said.
"Oh no…it is imperative that I be sealed away. You all are nothing like the killers who have come before." Mercphobia said as the water started to fill in the area once again.
"Oh no way!" Kashima said.
"Kashima…these people are my honored guests. I suggest you treat them as such." Mercphobia said.
"Yes sir!" Kashima said.
"Come…we can discuss this more in my temple." Mercphobia said to the group.
"Thank you." Miriam said.
At Mercphobia's temple…
"Wow, this place is cool!" Steven said.
"I guess it's alright. Just as good as my place, probably." Mermista said.
"So uh… I'm not gonna be stuck in jellyfish form forever, am I?" Wendy asked, before Mercphobia snapped his fingers, changing her back into a human. "Wow… that's a relief!"
"Magic of that level is quite easy to undo." Mercphobia said, as a woman in glasses approached.
"Great Water God, I must ask why you have brought this flotsam into the temple." she said.
"Allow me to introduce Karameel, she attends to me and my affairs. These are wizards and warriors from Ishgar and other different worlds." Mercphobia explained.
"I see…more thugs sent by Elefseria." Karameel said.
"Y'know, when she puts it like that…" Lei said.
"If you dare to challenge the water god, know that it will end with your guaranteed failure." Karameel said.
"We're not aiming for a fight just yet. Mercphobia, why did you bring us to your temple exactly?" Glimmer asked.
"I brought you all here to have a conversation." Mercphobia said. "Karameel, if you don't mind, may I speak to them alone?"
"Mph. Do get rid of them the instant you're done!" Karameel said as she marched off.
"I do apologize but she is very protective of me. She's a human I rescued from the sea and has always looked out for my well being." Mercphobia said.
"Yeah. Some of us can understand the feeling." David said.
With that, Mercphobia took the group on a grand tour of his palace, showing them his underwater vegetable garden, the medical facility, and the watchtower.
"It's quite beautiful." Thorani said.
"Ah! This Water Dragon ain't some evil monster! He's a complete stand up guy!" Franky said crying.
"Are you really Mercphobia the scary water god dragon?!" Lucy asked.
"You're such a good dude…" Gray said.
"Meeting a dragon that actually helps people is making me cry…!" Natsu cried.
"It's quite moving…" Erza said, moved to tears herself.
"Yeah, I mean he is super nice." Wendy said.
"So, you're not really evil." Hope said. "I would have pegged you to kill plenty of people."
"Oh, you're not wrong about that." Mercphobia said. "The truth is, I've exterminated a great number of people. I didn't think much of it, just the way the world worked. But…things changed when I met Karameel."
"She softened your heart when you rescued her, and you became more benevolent." Sakura summarized.
"Correct." Mercphobia confirmed.
"So then, why do you want us to take you out?" A2 asked.
"I'm not sure why Elefseria wants me sealed away but I know it must be done. See, my power…it can't be contained. The flooding of that city is my doing. Those fish used to be humans. To keep their way of life going, I cast a special enchantment on them so they could adapt." Mercphobia said.
"So that's why the townsfolk turned on us when Gray mentioned we were looking for you…" Double D mused.
"Haven't you looked into ways to contain your power?" Emo asked. "There's gotta be something that can keep it in check."
"I've tried, but nothing has worked. Left unchecked, my powers will spiral out of control and consume more towns beyond this one. The only way to stop it…is for someone to kill me." Mercphobia stated.
"A mercy kill. Is that what you really want?" David asked. "There has to be some other way."
"There is not. But before that happens, there is something I must do. I must rectify my greatest failure and overcome my greatest challenge." Mercphobia said.
"What would that be?" Jin asked.
"Reclaim my powers that were stolen by the White Wizard." Mercphobia said.
"What? You had an encounter with her of all people?!" Sheer said.
"Wait, White Wizard? Since when has there been a White Wizard?" Eddy asked.
"As long as there has been a Black Wizard." Rime said.
"She's right. The White Wizard is infamous. As Zeref once brought death, the white wizard brought something else…the power to completely nullify all forms of magic." Sheer said.
"And…she never got involved with any of the major events in Earthland? She just saw Zeref and Acnologia running around and just decided to opt out?" ZS asked.
"It's possible they were not part of any of her grand designs. She is not well known, but the cult of Rebellious was started in her name after seeing her power." Sheer said.
"Okay, so…what's the power scaling in regards to us? Could we take her in a fight?" Mark asked.
"I'd say…we have a rough twenty-five percent chance of beating her." Sheer said.
"Twenty-five percent?!" Double D gasped.
"At most." Sheer clarified. "And that's if we all attacked her at once."
"Okay, I think I see the picture. You want to reclaim your powers from the White Wizard so you can fix this high tide curse you cast on Ermina." Scarlet said to Mercphobia.
"Yes. And I must stay alive until that day." Mercphobia said.
However, before any plans could be made, the temple started to fill with ash.
"Oh great, Dragon Dine & Dash is back." Emo remarked.
"And they brought a new one with them." Tenko said seeing a man dressed in skull armor with the other two.
"This changes things. Looks like you're off the menu. We'll have to go for the White Wizard instead." Skullion said.
"Look, uh…Dragon Diners, we really don't have time to deal with you right now, so how about this: you guys head off and find some actually evil dragons to feast on, and we'll just forget how blondie there - uh, Kiria, said her name was - was ready to dice us up?" Carmine suggested.
"Do you take us for simpletons? As if we'd comply with the likes of you." Skullion said as his ashes went and bound up Mercphobia.
"My lord!" Karameel said.
"Alright, hard way it is!" Akane said.
"Finally, I get to hit something!" Natsu said, free to use his fire magic as he charged right at Skullion, but his ash-like body let him easily dodge as he placed a hand on him.
"Now, disappear! Turn to ashes!" Skullion called out.
"Not happening!" Kagetsu said as he slashed at Skullion only for his arm to separate. "I see…he's immune to physical attacks."
"Oh, we got a solution for this!" Eddy said as he, Double D, and the Z-Warriors fired numerous Ki shots at Skullion, who used his ashy form to maneuver through the air and avoid the attacks.
"Not good enough, I'm afraid." Skullion said as he avoided some of them while some attacks grazed him. "What?"
"You're out of your league, fifth gen." Mark said, appearing behind him with a ki blast at the ready, firing it and sending Skullion crashing to the ground.
"Excellent…" Kagetsu said before he and Erza were on the defensive as Kiria encroached on them.
"Yes, the clashing of blades…how I've missed that sound!" Kiria laughed as they clashed.
"Guess that just leaves the Armor Guy." Makoto said as she leaped towards him. "Block this, big guy! Big Bang SMASH!" she said, landing her 1st Distortion Drive. "Ah!" she said, pulling herself back in pain.
"No good, I'm afraid." Madmole said.
"Makoto's attack didn't work?! But she can punch a hole through almost anything!" Mai said.
"The scales of the Armor Dragon are stronger!" Madmole retorted as he landed a blow on his attacker.
"Then try us on for size!" Natsu said as he and Shiki went on the offensive against Madmole, rocketing right out of the temple and into the air.
"Like I said…it's no good!" Madmole said as he hurled the two right into a wooden boat.
"Dang…what will it take to…to….oh…" Natsu said. "The boat…is moving…"
"Natsu! That's right, Dragon Slayers get motion sick." Shiki said before smirking. "But it's gonna be the same for him, no matter what the generation!"
"Is it now?" Madmole asked, standing on the side of the ship, not feeling the same effects.
"Huh?! How the heck are you not getting sick?!" Shiki asked.
"You older generations sure had it rough." Madmole said.
"Well I'm not a Dragon Slayer. Natsu may be out, but I can still put up a fight!" Shiki said.
"Show me what you can do, cha." Madmole challenged.
"You asked for it!" Shiki said, bringing his ether gear to bear. " If I can't hit you directly, I'll just launch you! Magimech Attack: Gravity Cannon!" he called, creating an energy sphere of gravity from his fist before throwing it at the Dragon Eater, pushing him back due to the heaviness of it.
"Hm. Impressive force cha. But still…!" Madmole said, rearing his hand back as it coated itself in magic, hardening it. "Armor Dragon's…Steel-Fist Strike!" he declared, punching the gravity sphere, causing it to shatter.
"You can harden yourself even further?" Shiki said before Madmole reached him, grabbed him by the arm, and threw him off the ship and into the ocean.
"I doubt I could win a prolonged fight, cha." Madmole said as he saw Skullion fighting Gray under the water. "Hopefully the others can wrap up quickly."
Back in Mercphobias temple, the battle within made a strange turn as Erza and Kagetsu were both whimpering on the ground as Kiria stood over them.
"What I just cut away…was your strength." Kiria said laughing.
"How in the hell is that possible?"
"Guess she wasn't kidding when she said there was nothing she couldn't cut." Scarlet said. "But we're not giving up just yet!"
"Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang!" Wendy called out as she lunged at her.
"Oh…this one is a Dragon Slayer too?" Kiria said as she jumped.
"Spica…Hole!" Lucy said, jumping out to attack only for Kiria to land on the ground, only to fall into a hole.
"Well that was very small of you." Kiria said, stuck in the hole.
"This palace is compromised, not to mention Erza and Kagetsu. We need to grab everyone and regroup." Bardock said.
"Why leave? We're still fighting…" Kiria said as she took in a deep breath.
"Oh no. Everyone get back!" Jexi called out.
"Blade Dragon's….Tearing Roar!" Kiria called out, unleashing a Dragon's Roar that was tearing apart anything around her.
"She's ripping the place apart!" Krillin cried.
"Why do you guys always forget to cover the mouth?!" Dark Water typed.
The attack died down, only for the group to see Lucy & Wendy down.
"Lucy! Wendy!" Mark called out in distress.
"Ah ah ah." Kiria said before Mark could make a move to attack her in retaliation, grabbing hold of Erza & Kagetsu. "I'd rather not have you hurt my new pets."
"Damn witch!" Mark growled.
"That's it. I'm calling this." Emo said, pulling out a void spell book. "We're popping outta here, then coming back twice as hard!"
"What?! No, we can't just leave-!" Moltar started, gesturing to their allies.
"They'll be fine! They're Fairy Tail wizards!" Emo retorted. "Stay strong gang, we're coming back for ya!" he said before the rest of the group warped away.
As soon as they left, a sea of ashes filled the ocean as Skullion stood atop it.
"Well…that was rather fun." Skullion said.