Man, I'm starting to look like the boy who cried wolf, since I keep saying 'ok guys, I don't have anything written, probably no new chapter next week!' Only to upload one anyway.
Nobody's gonna believe me when the hiatus comes lol
Anyway, hope you guys enjoy!
Chapter title taken from the Within Temptation song of the same name
KEEPING SECRETS CHP. 28- WE GO TO WAR
To say this past year had not been Makarov's year was an understatement. All his work to protect those he held dear had amounted to nothing.
War with the western continent was coming, and at its helm was none other than the black wizard Zeref himself.
At least Fairy Tail was together again. Makarov's despair had turned to joy in an instant when Mest had revealed the guild had reformed and came to Alvarez to rescue him. Finally, he had returned home, to see the bright, smiling faces of all his children, waiting for him.
Well, all but one.
"Thank you for raising Natsu for me. "
The black wizard's words, spoken with that unsettling smile, replayed endlessly in Makarov's mind. He still couldn't make sense of what the black wizard meant. Initially, he had dismissed it as a madman attempting to sow discord within his guild, by making him believe Zeref had some connection to Natsu. It was ridiculous.
Or so he had thought.
But during their journey back to Ishgar, Makarov had asked why Natsu wasn't there, with the rest of his team? The reaction from Natsu's team made his heart sink. The way the light dimmed in Lucy's eyes as she explained, "I've been able to track down and reunite everyone from the guild this past year... everyone but Natsu. It's like... he's just vanished into the wind."
"Aye." Happy added, his voice unusually subdued. "He and I went to train after everything with Acnologia, and Tartaros... but I missed everyone, and I left him to come back to the guild. Only to find there wasn't a guild anymore." Sighing, Happy continued, "And then even worse, when I went back to where Natsu and I split up... there was no trace of him."
Zeref's words crept back into Makarov's thoughts. He shook them off. Natsu was never the best with timing. He was likely deep in the wilderness somewhere, and as soon as the boy stumbled his way back to civilization, he'd hear about the guild's reunion and come bursting through the guildhall doors again with that infectious grin of his.
That's what Makarov kept telling himself.
But as the days went by with no sign of Natsu, the dread in Makarov's heart crept back up.
Zeref wasn't just trying to sow discord... he knew something.
Something about Natsu.
And he's toying with them over it.
Makarov clenched his fists. He needed to tell the others- though he feared how they might react. The last thing they needed was Natsu's team to follow him down this rabbit hole and end up in Zeref's clutches as well.
Natsu's team was determined to find the wayward dragon slayer. Every day during Makarov's first week back in Magnolia, they scoured the kingdom, in search of him.
Saturday came, and the team had returned from another fruitless search. However, this time they had something unusual to report.
Wendy swore she'd caught Natsu's scent, faint but unmistakable, only for it to vanish as quickly as it appeared. Its trail had led them to the ruins of an old village where, beneath a sprawling old oak tree, the team had found three graves.
One was marked 'Thaddeus Dragneel, loving husband and father', another read 'Ruth Dragneel, loving wife and mother', and the third: 'Igneel, fire dragon king, loving father, loyal friend'.
"Are these..." Wendy's voice trembled, full of shock.
"Natsu's parents…?" Lucy finished, her voice thick with emotion. "Natsu always said he never knew his family, that Igneel had said they were dead…could he have discovered this place, this past year, and buried them?"
Still, there was something even stranger about the two graves that the team originally assumed were Natsu's biological parents. The dates carved into the headstones complicated things. If the dates were accurate, Thaddeus and Ruth Dragneel had lived and died in the third century.
"This can't be right." Gray remarked. "Flame brain must have screwed the dates up. Sure seems like something he would do."
"But this village is so ancient and dilapidated, there's no way anyone could have lived here in centuries." Carla added, furrowing her brow.
Nothing made sense.
Their story gnawed at Makarov; it felt as if they were on the verge of a discovery, yet the truth remained just out of reach. Overhearing their conversation, Mest interjected.
"Wendy, you said one minute you caught Natsu's scent, and the next it vanished?"
Wendy nodded. "That's right."
Mest furrowed his brow. "If that's the case, it would indicate some sort of teleportation spell at work. Did you pick up any other scents? Even briefly?"
Wendy shook her head.
Makarov clenched his fists. "I've been reluctant to bring this up, given everything already on our plates, but Mest…I do know of one mage capable of teleporting so quickly Wendy's senses wouldn't have time to register him." He paused, his face grim. "The black wizard, Zeref."
The team stiffened in shock.
"Are you saying you think Zeref has kidnapped Natsu, Master?" Erza hesitantly asked, voice tense.
Makarov sighed heavily. "I should have told you when we first returned to Magnolia... but I feared you all might do something reckless. Yes, I suspect Zeref has something to do with Natsu's disappearance."
The group exchanged alarmed glances as Makarov continued. "During our confrontation, Zeref said something very strange. He thanked me for raising Natsu for him."
"Thanked you... for raising him?" Lucy repeated, her own confusion clear on her face.
Makarov nodded gravely. "His exact words. I thought he was just trying to throw me off guard... but after you all rescued me, and Natsu wasn't with you, I realized his words held a far more sinister meaning."
"Wait…" Wendy said, voice trembling. "Are you saying Zeref has Natsu in Alvarez?"
"I can't say for certain." Makarov admitted, stroking his chin. "But if Zeref is involved, it would explain Natsu's disappearance."
"Why didn't you say anything sooner?!" Happy exclaimed, his frustration boiling over. "If Zeref has him, we need to get back over there and rescue him!"
"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" Mest countered. "The empire's got their borders sealed tighter than a councilman's wallet. There's absolutely no way we could get in... forget getting out."
Makarov raised his voice, his tone somber but firm: "I realize keeping this from all of you wasn't ideal, but I couldn't risk any of you storming back to Alvarez on a suicide mission. We'd only succeed in allowing Zeref to capture even more of us."
"Well, we can't just sit around doing nothing!" Gray snapped, his fists clenching. "This is Natsu we're talking about, Gramps! If Zeref's been able to hold him all this time, God only knows what he's doing to him!"
"We are not doing nothing." Came the calm, authoritative voice of the first master. "By planning and strategizing a way to win this war, we can weaken the empire significantly... and in their moment of weakness, we can strike back and free Natsu."
Makarov nodded solemnly. "Please understand, children, I don't like the idea of leaving Natsu in Zeref's clutches any more than any of you do, but for the time being there is nothing we can do... other than pray he remains safe and do everything in our power to defeat Zeref so we can rescue him."
The room fell silent for a moment. The other Fairy Tail mages exchanged conflicted looks, but one by one they nodded.
"Then we'll do just that, master." Erza said, her voice steady and resolute. "Zeref's empire and the Spriggan Twelve will fall."
Fiore was prepared as they could be for an invasion. Almost a month had passed since Fairy Tail had rescued Makarov from Alvarez, but there was still no sign of the empire's fleet. It was unsettling.
Makarov couldn't shake the feeling they were being toyed with. Zeref's armies had no logical reason to delay if a one-sided annihilation was their goal. Yet, even with the advanced detection system Mavis and Warren had set up, day after day passed without a blimp appearing from the west.
Which is why the morning of September 21, x792, when Makarov had absent mindedly turned on the lacrima vision at the guild's bar to the news channel, his eyes widened at the headlines.
CAELUM DECLARES INDEPENDENCE FROM MINSTREL.
Makarov didn't know much about the political tensions between Minstrel and its now former colony. However, during his brief stay in Mercurius while waiting for approval to travel to Alvarez, he had heard enough to know that Minstrel's king, a young and pompous man named Vasilis Pavone, had a reputation for being insufferable and difficult to work with. That a colony would want to break free from his rule really wasn't surprising.
What bothered Makarov was the timing.
The Ishgarian News Network, which had stations across the continent, had a man on the ground in Caelum. Makarov adjusted the volume of the lacrima vision so he could hear Caelum's leader, Lord Evan Saylor, declare his nation's newfound independence:
"...have suffered under the yoke of an apathetic king for far too long! Our nation has bent and buckled under the weight of his taxes and tariffs. His policies fail to account for our safety, and our requests for aid against a pirate menace have fallen on deaf ears!"
The camera cut to Lord Saylor gripping the podium, eyes blazing with conviction.
"I was entrusted by my father, just as he was entrusted by his father before him, to protect and uplift the citizens of Caelum. I cannot do that under King Vaisiles Pavone's rule. My late father and King Vaisiles's late father, Ralph Pavone, had a relationship that promoted unity and open communication between our two governments. I have tried my best to honor that legacy, but I am left with no choice if I am to ensure Caelum has a future."
Saylor leaned forward, voice rising as he declared:
"It is for that reason, as Lord of the Island of Caelum, I hereby sever all diplomatic, economic, and political ties to the Kingdom of Minstrel and declare Caelum a sovereign, independent kingdom!"
Cheers erupted from the audience in Caelum, but Makarov tightened his grip on his mug. He had no issue with Caelum seeking independence from an inept king, but something about this declaration deeply unsettled him.
"Everything okay, Master?" Mirajane asked, glancing at him as she watched dishes from behind the bar.
Before Makarov could answer, Saylor's voice rose again, delivering another shocking declaration-
"In addition, we sever all contracts, legal agreements, and other treaties with the International Council of Mages! As we form our new kingdom, WE will decide on the future of magic in our land- not old fossils thousands of miles away on the mainland!"
The audience in Caelum looked as shocked as Makarov felt. However, King Saylor's determination did not seem to slip, and slowly, the audience applauded once more.
Mira was still staring at Master Makarov, waiting for an answer, concerned that his eyes had grown even wider at King Saylor's proclamation. "Master?"
Makarov exhaled sharply before responding; "Something about this feels very wrong. At first, I thought it was just the timing- knowing Alvarez is preparing an invasion. Caelum's secession will no doubt be answered in force by Minstrel, and depending on how the conflict escalates, Fiore could be dragged into the fight as well due to the defensive pacts between our kingdoms." He paused, rubbing his chin. "But what concerns me even more is Caelum's expulsion of the Magic Council."
Makarov hopped off his stool and began pacing. "Caelum will be fighting an uphill battle against Minstrel in the first place- and as a general rule, the Magic Council stays out of war between member nations. However, by outright expelling the Council from Caelum's borders, Saylor has painted a target on his new kingdom's back. Not only will he have Minstrel's military to deal with, but also the Council's Rune Knights now."
"Is he insane?" Gajeel scoffed as he approached the bar. "Ain't no country that can stand up to the Rune Knights!"
Makarov paused, his frown deepening. "No Ishgarian country can... but..."
Mavis's thought projection, which had been sitting on the bar as well, eyes' widened. "Do you think... Caelum is in Zeref's pocket?"
Makarov scowled. "I would hope not for their sake. But..."
Mavis's expression darkened. "It's not impossible. If Caelum is working with Zeref, he could already have an advance force stationed there... and we're not prepared to deal with an invasion force stationed this close to Ishgar."
Makarov nodded. "Exactly. We need to prepare for the worst. And I have a bad feeling about what's coming."
Just off the coast of Caelum, a small fleet of Minstrel battleships converged on their former colony.
Leading the fleet was Admiral Einar Cavalieri, a seasoned sailor renowned for his reputation of snuffing out enemies quickly and decisively. He stood on the deck of his command ship, peering through his personal telescope at the ragtag assembly of warships defending Caelum's shores.
It was pitiful, really. Caelum stood no chance against Minstrel's naval might. There wouldn't even be a need to call in their allies for assistance. Admiral Cavalieri knew he'd have the rebellion crushed and Caelum back under Minstrel's flag in a matter of hours. He shook his head, almost amused. He'd really thought Lord Saylor was smarter than this.
A magic item enhanced voice carried over the water from one of Caelum's ragtag ships- "Attention Minstrel fleet. You are approaching the borders of the sovereign Kingdom of Caelum. If you continue to advance, it will be taken as an act of aggression, and we will open fire."
Cavalieri's first mate turned to him. "What are your orders, sir?"
Admiral Cavalieri smirked, his confidence unwavering. "We don't negotiate with traitors. Open fire!"
"Yes sir!"
Seconds later, the Minstrel warships unleashed a barrage of cannon fire. The sails on Caelum's flagship were shredded, and its mast collapsed, sending sailors scrambling as the crippled vessel listed to one side.
Cavalieri's soldiers erupted into cheers at the sight. The admiral chuckled and his smirk widened. "All too easy."
Almost immediately after the words had passed from his lips, the frigate to their right exploded in a fiery inferno.
Cavalieri's smirk disappeared, and the cheers of his crew were replaced by cries of alarm as ash and debris rained down on them.
That ship was annihilated in one hit! How? "Sabotage!" the admiral bellowed, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Quickly, check the lower levels-"
Before he could finish, the frigate to their left was similarly consumed by an explosion, leaving nothing but charred driftwood and crimson stained waves in its wake.
"Sir, look!" A terrified sailor cried out, pointing to the shore.
Cavalieri raised his telescope again, and his blood ran cold.
As if they had appeared out of thin air, two massive warships now floated in the water alongside Caelum's ragtag fleet. Cavalieri had never seen such gargantuan vessels- their blackened hulls and dark purple sails exuded an aura of dread.
Did Saylor really stoop so low as to align himself with the pirates?! Truly, the man has no-" Cavalieri's thoughts came to a crashing halt and his telescope fell from his hands as he got a glimpse of the emblem embroidered onto the mysterious monster ships' sails.
It was a stylized, segmented crown with flame-like edges. An emblem that, since his time at the naval academy, was treated with one order- flee on sight.
It was the crest of the Alvarez, the indomitable empire from across the sea.
A deafening blast tore through his ship, splitting its mast and reducing most of the deck to rubble. Cavalieri was thrown off his feet, his ears ringing. Dazed, he crawled to his quarters, where a state-of-the-art communication lacrima waited. His trembling hands activated the device and within seconds, King Pavone's pompous tone filled the room.
"Ah, Admiral, you certainly moved faster than I ever could have hoped-"
"Your Majesty!" Cavalieri cut the king off, desperation bleeding through his voice. "We're outgunned! Saylor has joined forces with Alvarez-"
The transmission ended abruptly as the world around Cavalieri was engulfed in fire.
King Toma had contacted Makarov to inform him that Fiore was dispatching several ships to Caelum, in honor of their defense pact with Minstrel. Apparently, Caelum had managed to repel Minstrel's initial assault. King Pavone had claimed the former Lord of the Isle had stooped so low as to form an alliance with pirates to achieve this victory.
Both King Toma and Master Makarov suspected otherwise.
The entire guild had gathered around Warren's radar map, their anticipation mixed with unease. The noise that normally permeated the guildhall was gone, replaced by an uncomfortable silence, broken only by the rhythmic hum of the radar. After an eternity seemed to pass, several blimps appeared on the map, moving steadily from Caelum towards mainland Ishgar.
Makarov's communication lacrima went off, breaking the tension.
"I'm afraid we were right, Master Makarov." Came King Toma's grim voice. "According to my commanding officer, a massive Alverezian fleet was stationed off the coast of Caelum... just waiting for us. There's no way the few ships we sent can stand against their numbers, so I've ordered them to retreat."
Makarov sighed heavily. "I suppose we shouldn't be surprised."
However, the dread in Makarov's chest deepened as the few blimps on the map began to multiply... until they were too numerous to count.
"It's fine..." Mavis said, swallowing her uncertainties. "We knew this was coming. We still have time-"
Gray's communication lacrima buzzed. He answered it quickly, his expression darkening as he listened to whoever was on the other end. Lowering the lacrima down from his ear, he declared, "Lyon says Hargeon is already under Alvarez's control!"
"That's impossible!" Laxus yelled. "Those ships haven't even reached the coast yet-"
"There's one more thing Makarov. " King Toma's voice returned through Makarov's own communication lacrima. "Alvarez has a fleet of airships. My commanding officer reported that one of them was so large it blacked out the sun for a moment."
Makarov's expression darkened even further. "I see. Thank you, Your Majesty." Makarov lowered the lacrima with a solemn expression. Addressing the guild, he gravely said, "Zeref has a massive airship fleet as well."
Gasps resounded through the guildhall. Warren paled as he stammered, "My… my radar didn't account for forces coming from the air."
"If they've taken Hargeon, they've likely already taken the other port cities as well." Evergreen pointed out grimly.
Mavis's eyes widened briefly, but she quickly steeled herself. "It doesn't matter! We knew the odds were against us. This doesn't change anything; we're not giving up!" She pointed at the map with renewed determination. "I need volunteers to form into teams and head to Hargeon, Cedar, and Morgate town! Those are our biggest port cities. If they've made it to Hargeon already, it's safe to assume those other two have fallen as well!"
"We also need a reserve force here in case the capital needs our help, and ensure the guildhall remains secure!" Makarov declared.
"Right!" Mavis's voice rang out, full of resolve. "Let's move, people! If Zeref wants war, we'll give him a war!"
Her eyes burned with determination, and the guild responded with shouts of agreement, the fear in the room now replaced with a rallying spirit.
Mermaid Heel and Lamia Scale converged on the city of Hargeon, determined to support the Rune Knights and royal military there.
But once they arrived, they found no friendly soldiers standing.
The city was engulfed in smoke, its once pristine streets littered with debris. Imperial soldiers surrounded it like a swarm of flies on a carcass, their banners a stark declaration of Alvarez's conquest.
Lyon stood at the forefront of the allied guilds forces, addressing the gathered mages, his voice burning with resolve- "We knew this would be an uphill battle! But we're not going to flee or cower in fear as the empire destroys our homes and kills our neighbors! Take out every soldier from Alvarez you see! Draw their leaders out and we'll take them down together!"
With a unified roar, the allied Firoian mages charged towards the city. Their initial strike caught the Alverez soldiers by surprise, but the empire's forces quickly regrouped, their discipline and training on full display.
Kagura wove through the chaos, her blade flashing as she struck down soldiers left and right. She had lost count of how many soldiers she had knocked unconscious with the hilt of her sword- or how many more she had no choice but to leave bleeding. Her breaths came in labored gasps, and her arms trembled from the strain. These weren't just some hired thugs, this was the most advanced, well-trained army in the world. And it showed.
One soldier got the upper hand and, before she could recover, knocked her off her feet. She hit the ground hard, the air knocked from her lungs and vision blurred. Not blurred enough to not see Lyon and Millenia fall as well, however.
"Stay down!" The soldier barked, shoving the barrel of his gun in her face.
"Corporal, make sure she doesn't get back up. Use lethal force if necessary. I don't think this one's gonna stay down for us."
The corporal nodded at his commanding officer before turning his attention back to Kagura. "So, you gonna behave, or-"
"Sky dragon ROAR!"
A sudden blast of wind tore through the soldiers surrounding Kagura, scattering them as if they were leaves. A young girl with navy blue hair came into her field of vision. She looked familiar. "Are you alright?" The girl asked, offering her a hand.
Kagura took the offered hand and pulled herself up, noticing the Fairy Tail emblem on the girl's shoulder. Recognition finally clicked. "You're with Fairy Tail."
The girl nodded. "I'm Wendy Marvell. Sky dragon slayer. Looks like we made it just in time."
Looking around, Kagura saw that more Fairy Tail mages had joined the fray, catching Alvarez's forces off guard. Their combined magic wreaked havoc, cutting down scores of soldiers.
"We have them on the ropes!" One of the Fairy Tail mages shouted, holding his gun up. Press into the city! Make the Twelve come face us!"
Before they could press further into the city, however, a sharp, mocking laugh echoed across the battlefield.
"Make us face you? Well if you wanted to play, all you had to do was ask!" A haughty voice called out.
As if on cue, a massive sandstorm erupted, tearing through the allied forces. Many struggled to stay on their feet, while others were swept away entirely by the intense winds. When the storm finally subsided, three figures emerged from the swirling sands.
At the forefront of the trio was Ajeel Ramal, smirking arrogantly. "What do you say we show these amateurs what real magic looks like, Dimaria, Larcade?"
In Cedar, Max struggled to stay upright. The sheer number of Alvarez's soldiers was overwhelming- no matter how many they took down, more just came at them, filling the gaps left by their fallen comrades.
"Why- are- there- so- many?!" Laki screamed, thrusting her wooden weapons at the advancing soldiers. As she raised her hand to create more, a blast from one soldier's magic gun shattered her weapon and struck her hand mid cast. She cried out in pain, collapsing to her knees.
"Laki!" Max yelled, lunging to protect her. Before he could reach her, the stock of a gun slammed into his face with brutal force. He crashed to the ground, vision swimming. Looking up, he saw the Alvarez soldiers looming over them, their weapons aimed and ready.
"Prayer's Fountain!"
Beams of water erupted from the ground, striking the surrounding soldiers and sending them flying. They cried out in shock and pain as the rapids swept them away.
"Need some help, friend?" Cana's voice rang out as she appeared, offering a hand to Max. After helping him to his feet, she did the same for Laki.
"Thanks Cana." Laki said with a weary smile.
"You got it!" Cana said, grinning. Glancing at the hostile soldiers that had begun to regroup and surround them, she quipped, "Now... uh, you guys wouldn't happen to have an ace up your sleeves, would you?"
Laki chuckled nervously. "Hehehe... I'm afraid not."
"Still yet, we're Fairy Tail mages." Max said, forcing a smile, "We're not just gonna roll over for them, are we?"
"Hell no!" Cana shouted. "Alright, move on my count... three... two..."
The Alvarez soldiers readied their weapons.
"One, GO!" Cana shouted.
"All crush!"
A blinding explosion consumed the enemy soldiers.
When the dust settled, The Fairy Tail mages cautiously opened their eyes, surprised to see the enemy soldiers completely defeated.
Cana's smile grew. "About time you showed up, old man!"
"You don't really think I'd ignore my daughter's call, now would you?" The owner of the voice emerged from the cloud of dust, revealing Gildarts Clive. Cana gave her father a big hug.
"Hell yeah, now that Gildarts is here, the empire's done for!" Max yelled, with Laki cheering in agreement.
"I don't know if I'd say that." A new voice spoke.
The cheerful atmosphere seemed to evaporate as immediately as it appeared as the four Fairy Tail mages turned to see two figures approaching from out of the dissipating dust cloud.
They both appeared to be fairly young men, around the same age as the Fairy Tail mages, minus Gildarts. One was dressed in a blue trench coat, his hair and eyes matching the icy hue of his attire. His glasses glinted as he surveyed the other mages, his gaze so cold it sent chills down their spines.
The other man had dark hair and eyes, which had a hint of faint amusement in them. His clothing consisted of black and white robes that looked like they went out of style centuries ago. And while the other man's magic power was massive, this man's felt like it was nothing.
"I'll admit," the dark-haired man said with a faint smile, his tone smooth and unsettling, "taking out that many soldiers at once was impressive. You must be Gildarts Clive, Fairy Tail's strongest mage."
Gildarts grinned confidently and gave a mock bow. "My reputation precedes me. You'll have to forgive me, though, I don't know which one of the Spriggan 12 you are."
The dark-haired man's smile grew, revealing his abnormally sharp canines. Something about his smile unnerved the Fairy Tail mages- it looked familiar, despite them never having seen this man before. "Oh, my apologies. Suppressing my magic aura has become second nature to me. That's what happens when you've done it as long as I have. But, to answer your question- I am not one of the Twelve."
A sudden flood of magic power exploded from the man, more intense than anything the Fairy Tail mages had felt before. Cana, Max, and Laki were forced to their knees. Even Gildarts struggled to remain upright, his legs trembling under the weight of the sudden outpouring of raw magic power.
His eyes widened in shock. "You- you're-"
The other man stepped forward, adjusting his glasses. "It is customary to bow in the presence of an emperor, you know."
At the Magic Council Headquarters in Era, the rune knights stationed in the lobby were glued to the latest news feeds, which showed Alvarez's forces overrunning Fiore's major port cities. While the invaders had not yet begun pressing towards the capital, things were not looking good.
The intercom behind the desk crackled to life, breaking their concentration; "Commander, we've got a mage from Fairy Tail outside. She's brought in a big catch- you need to see this."
The rune knight commander gestured to the officer behind the front desk, who pressed a button beneath it. A loud buzz sounded, followed by the click of heavy locks disengaging. The doors swung open, and several sets of footsteps approached.
The rune knights stood, frozen in shock, when they saw who was entering the lobby.
It was impossible NOT to recognize Erza Scarlet. Her distinct hair color matched her name, and she was one of Fairy Tail's strongest mages. Even Fairy Tail's harshest critics couldn't deny her accomplishments, such as single-handedly challenging and defeating one hundred monsters during last year's Grand Magic Games.
But it wasn't Erza that left the rune knights stunned.
She was escorting a prisoner, her armored hand gripping his shoulder tightly.
It was a face they'd never thought (or hoped) they'd see again- God Serena, the former number one wizard saint.
Erza smirked, her voice sharp and commanding. "If it's alright, I'd like to turn in this criminal I've apprehended."
The rune knight commander stepped forward, his eyes growing in disbelief. "How-where-"
"Master Makarov had us patrolling around Magnolia when we received news of Alvarez taking Hargeon." Erza explained smoothly. "We found him attempting to breach our barrier, and together, our guild was able to subdue him."
"THIS IS TRULY AN UN-MAGNIFICENT TURN OF EVENTS!" God Serena shouted, struggling against his magic cuffs, no doubt infuriated he couldn't take on a ridiculous pose as he made his declaration. The rune knights winced-his over-the-top declarations were just as grating as they remembered.
The commander suppressed a groan. Well, that's definitely him. He thought. These fairies can be a pain in the ass, but they sure have their uses.
Straightening, he addressed Erza formally: "On behalf of the Magic Council and the kingdom of Fiore, thank you Miss Scarlet. You've done us a great service, removing this traitor from the battle." He turned to his subordinates. "Take him away!"
Several rune knights surrounded God Serena, shoving him forward.
"Commander," Erza interjected, her tone pleasant and even, "would you mind if I accompany your men? Master Makarov instructed me to ensure he was properly locked away."
The knights glanced at their commander, who hesitated briefly before nodding. "Technically, it's breaking protocol, but I doubt the higher ups will object to having an extra set of eyes on him. Especially a pair belonging to a mage that helped capture him."
He offered her a small smile. "I'll inform the councilmen as well. Draculos or Wolfheim should be here, I'm sure they'd be happy to ensure he's locked away to your liking"
"Thank you for indulging my request, commander." She said, her smirk fading as she shoved the former number one wizard saint forward. "Move, traitor."
"How dare you address me so un-magnificently!" God Serena shouted, struggling futilely. "This isn't over! You haven't seen the last of God Serena!"
The commander lazily waved as Erza and his men corralled the disgraced wizard saint deeper into the building. He shook his head. As much as he hated to admit it, Fairy Tail sure knew how to get results.
He turned back to the news feed, ignoring the uneasy feeling in the back of his mind. After all, the sinister edge he thought he had seen in Erza's smile earlier… Surely that was just his imagination.
These fools are too easy to deceive, Irene mused as she 'helped' the rune knights escort God Serena deeper into the Magic Council headquarters. All her deception had taken was donning a replica of her daughter's armor and adjusting her hairstyle.
I really should thank you for inheriting so much of my appearance and none of your pathetic father's next time I see you, Erza.
They had been walking for several minutes, but Serena had yet to give the signal. Irene's advanced senses picked up on the magic aura of who had to be an approaching wizard saint. They weren't anything to underestimate, but she knew without a doubt he would be no match for her.
Still, it'd be helpful to locate the archives before he showed up ...
As if reading her thoughts, the most flamboyant member of the Twelve made his move. God Serena suddenly flung himself to the ground at the intersection of two hallways, wailing dramatically.
"NO! I REFUSE TO LET MY MAGNIFICENCE BE CONTAINED BY THIS PRISON!"
He flailed about so excessively that one of the rune knights jabbed the butt of his spear in the dragon slayer's face to shut him up. Irene did not miss that her comrade's gaze had shifted to the hallway they were intersecting. Following his line of sight, her eyes landed on a sign that oh-so-conveniently pointed towards the Magic Council's archives.
Perfect.
Keeping her tone calm but assertive, Irene turned to the nearest rune knight. "Excuse me. As a reward for capturing this embarrassment, I'd like to browse your archives- specifically, anything you have on requip magic and magical armor." Her expression softened to disarm him further. "Surely that's not an unreasonable request. Don't you agree?"
The rune knight furrowed his brow. "I… I can make a request to my superiors, but I don't have direct access to the archives myself." His voice carried a note of suspicion.
Irene smiled wider, but the warmth in it quickly drained away. "Very good. And please pass one more message along to them for me."
At that God Serena stood, his feigned despair melting away, replaced by a sinister grin. With a flick of his wrists, the magic suppressing cuffs fell to the floor with a clatter.
The rune knights instinctively flinched backward. "Miss Scarlet, the prisoner-"
Their voices faltered as they stumbled backward, only to collide with something solid. Spinning around, they found themselves face to face with four unfamiliar mages who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, each one of them radiating an oppressive and menacing magic aura.
Irene's smile twisted into something dark and malevolent. She stepped forward, her movements exuding overwhelming power.
"This isn't a request." She said coldly, her voice carrying a dangerous edge.
"It's a demand."
The hardest part of writing these battles is choosing who to focus on. So many characters give for so many potential scenarios, and I can't realistically focus on all of them if I want to move the story forward! After all, the events that immediately follow the war are, at least in my mind, very special and I absolutely cannot wait to get to them!
On a completely different note, my wife is due to give birth to our second son in less than a month! Knowing how it went the first time around, I'll probably be exhausted, so I won't be able to work on this as much as I'd want. We'll see, though.
I am about 1700 words into the next chapter so maybe new chapter next week?
Thanks to Valeska001 for beta reading again!
Also, special thanks to CoolCarnage, a frequent commenter, for suggesting a friendship between Rustyrose and Neinhart! A lot of folks seemed amused by that the last chapter, and since they were the one that gave me the idea, I wanted to give proper credit!
And thanks to the rest of you for reading and commenting! See you all next time!