(Edited 29/08/24)
I do not own Fairy Tail Hiro Mashima does.
The Old Dragonslayer
***POTD***
"This thing is NOT rusty," Natsu spoke loudly within his mindscape, as he sidestepped several swift jabs from the Dragonslayer's lance, before performing an expertly timed flip and landing his right foot on the flat of the blade, pinning it to the ground.
"I could've told you that. This thing is from the Titan Era, even rusty it would've been bad!"
Natsu leapt away as a dome made of raw lightning sprung up around the Dragonslayer, releasing lethal volts across everything within its circumference that, conveniently, had no effect on his opponent. The Slayer then released the dome, swung its lance out to the far right, firing off a powerful aerial slash attack that Natsu easily evaded with a basic jump.
"Well, that wasn't too bad-?"
Spinning midair, Natsu narrowly avoided taking the blade of the lance through the heart, as he used his right leg to knock the lance away, and the left to strike the Dragonslayer, kicking him back down into the ground.
The Slayer landed on his feet, despite having the full momentum of Natsu's kick behind him, cratering the ground as sparks surged through the ruins of the church. The Slayer then looked up at Natsu, who slowly levitated back to ground level, as it idly twirled its weapon at its side.
"This thing is surprisingly agile for something so heavily armored?"
"It likely isn't suffering any movement drawbacks from its gear," Igneel replied honestly, as the Dragonslayer slowly walked out of the crater. "You've done well to start with, but don't grow cocky. This is just the warmup phase, I guarantee it."
"Yeah? Well, that makes two of us," Natsu smirked, as he activated his Devil's Aura. "This could be a perfect opportunity to really refine my skills against a worthy opponent!"
"What did I just say boy!? Don't. Get. Cocky."
As the Dragonslayer twirled its lance idly, the wind began to pick up behind it. Suddenly, Natsu had sidestepped the lance, the form of the Dragonslayer now in two places rather than one, its speed far beyond that of ordinary perception.
Blocking the sideways slash from the lance by countering the flat of the blade with his forearm, Natsu move into the Dragonslayer's guard, performing a brutal uppercut that knocked the knight up into the church roof.
The Dragonslayer instantly freed itself from the roof, dropping back down into the church as lightning surged from its form. Extending its free hand, it fired a wave of dark energy at his position, as Natsu swiped his left arm out in front of him, forming a swift Crash Barrier.
The attack shattered harmlessly against the barrier, but the attack was only the prelude, as the Dragonslayer suddenly rushed Natsu again. This time, it wielded darkness in one hand, and lightning across its lance.
"Two can play at that game," Natsu hissed in reply, coating his right arm in flame, and the left in gravity, moving to match the Dragonslayer.
The Dragonslayer struck first, expertly twirling its lance and firing off a lightning infused aerial slash attack that Natsu slid right under. Keeping his momentum, Natsu let his gravity laced hand run across the ground, flipping the floor beneath them upright, knocking the Dragonslayer off balance.
"Devil's Aura: Fire Dragon King's Destabilizing Iron Fist!"
The Dragonslayer, despite being staggered, was prepared to counter, stabbing its lance into the now upright flooring, using it as a solid step as it launched itself to match Natsu. Cocking its darkness laced arm back, the Dragonslayer clashed with Natsu, shattering the flooring, and causing several other sections of the church to collapse around them.
An explosion knocked the pair apart, the Dragonslayer extending its right arm as its lance shot toward its position, the being landing on one knee as it skidded back toward the front of the church.
Natsu meanwhile performed several rolls midair before landing on both feet, knees slightly bent as he skidded to a stop, the ground behind him being uprooted by the force he'd been moving, cracking and crumbling away.
"Well… That' a rather interesting warmup, I'll give it that," Natsu sighed internally, as sparks surged through the ground throughout the church.
Natsu Dragneel (Devil's Aura + Base Form + Suppressed) – 35.5 Billion MPI
The Old Dragonslayer (Titan's Aura + Heavily Suppressed) – 42.8 Billion MPI
The Dragonslayer made a strange groaning noise as it held its lance out in front of it, lightly tossing it up and down with one hand, before nodding stiffly to itself. Narrowing his eyes, Natsu watched and waited with baited breath to see just what it planned on doing.
Adjusting its stance, the Dragonslayer cocking back with its lance, holding it now more like a spear, its entire length engulfed in golden lightning, making it look more akin to an arrow of light than a lance.
Natsu felt the ground around him shake as the Dragonslayer threw the weapon directly at him, the attack radius expanding to engulf the entire space within the church, giving Natsu no other choice but to try and block the attack.
"Devil's Aura: Crash Arts – Crash Barrier!"
Shielding only his immediate area, Natsu was shocked when he felt his entire body pushed back instantly, the barrier cracking under the strain of the attack as he skidded through the ruins.
"Shit-!"
"The lance is the heart of the attack, and likely its strongest focal point! Get out of the lance's way Natsu!"
Focusing his gaze deep into the attack, he could see the lance at the center, and immediately dived out of the way, dragging his Crash Barrier with him. The attack shot past, blowing away everything in its path unimpeded, as the section Natsu had just barely managed to squeeze into was reduced to tiny cubes and dispersed.
Before he even had the chance to contemplate what just happened, Natsu rolled out of the way as the Dragonslayer struck his position with a darkness laced dropkick. The ground shattered immediately upon impact, as Natsu flipped back onto his feet.
"Persistent bastard, aren't you," Natsu huffed, as the Dragonslayer rushed his position. "Fine then!"
The two Dragonslayers rushed one another, crossing fists multiple times as they flashed around the collapsing church. Neither of the pair were able to outright strike the other, coming together for a final clash, their fists crossing at the centre of the collapsing church before the both leapt backward, landing on the edge of the collapsed roof.
Just as Natsu managed to get his footing, he was forced to jump once again, as the Dragonslayer's lance sailed past, slicing through everything in its path as it made its way back toward its owner.
However, this time, as Natsu flipped, he coated his right leg in crimson fire and kicked the flat of the blade, sending the lance flying toward its owner at much higher speeds than they'd summoned it.
"You want it back so bad!? Then take it," Natsu snapped, forcing the Dragonslayer to dodge their own weapon as they extended their left arm outward in an attempt to get it to slow down and return to their side.
However, in that brief moment, Natsu had rushed the Dragonslayer, his right arm fully cocked back as raging fire exploded behind him. The lapse in concentration on the Dragonslayer's part was less than a second…but that was all Natsu needed.
"Let's see how you like this!? Devil's Aura: Fire Dragon King's Destabilizing Demolition Fist!"
Throwing the powerful punch, the Dragonslayer was forced to block using both forearms, the attack itself striking him with such force that the entire church was blown away beneath them.
To Natsu's surprise, the Dragonslayer was only slightly pushed back, before redirecting the attack upward, as it veered off and blasted the roof of the underground cavern. The flames melted right through the rock, quickly exposing the ruins to the outside world, as part of the castle fell onto their current position.
"Well… I'd say that's a first! Never seen that attack get outright reflected like that," Natsu joked aloud, surrounding himself in Crash Magic as he shot toward the surface. "Probably best to get this fight out in the open anyway!"
"Agreed. You can start using more lethal attacks up here now," Igneel replied, as Natsu landed just outside the vicinity of the collapsing castle. "Only downside is that it will too."
An explosion went off down in the ruins, as a large chunk of the collapsing castle was fired back out of the hole, crashing down nearby, as the Dragonslayer shot out of the hole, lance in hand. It landed on the opposing side of the hole, twirling its lance rapidly before launching itself across the hole.
"Here he comes," Natsu muttered to himself in his head, as the Dragonslayer threw his lance at him.
Instantly dodging to the side, Natsu lurched forward, coughing up blood, as the Dragonslayer appeared alongside its lance, fist buried deep in his gut. Being launched across the ruins of the Vampire fortress, Natsu raised his arms and blocked the full brunt of another dropkick by the Dragonslayer, still getting slammed into the ground beneath him, however.
"Fuck," Natsu hissed, his eyes flashing dangerously as tendrils shot out of his forearms in an attempt to ensnare the Dragonslayer, only for the being to rapidly twirl its lance, slashing them like pesky weeds.
But this was what Natsu had intended, using the precious seconds to strike up at the Dragonslayer's back with his legs, forcing the being to leap off of him, allowing Natsu to spin on his back, arching his neck.
"Devil's Aura: Fire Gravity Dragon King's Reverberating Roar!"
Unleashing the massive breath attack, the Dragonslayer immediately brought its lance out in front of itself protectively, as Natsu used the force behind his attack to propel himself backward, gaining considerable distance as the Dragonslayer skidded along the ground.
After firing his attack for a full minute, Natsu ceased channeling Magic to his breath attack, quickly flipping to his feet and dropping into a defensive stance. His enhanced eyes quickly located the Dragonslayer, who had been pushed across the Vampire fortress and into the far rampart walls.
"He's still not damaged," Natsu said quietly, as Igneel mumbled something to himself.
The pair watched as the Dragonslayer pried himself free from the rampart walls, instantly slicing several Vampires in half, before suddenly releasing a monstrous amount of Magical Power.
"I think all you did was piss it off?"
"Shut up Igneel," Natsu huffed, as the Dragonslayer cocked back and threw its spear right in his direction.
Unlike the previous times, this throw had serious force behind it, blasting the rampart walls behind it apart, and blasting any Vampires that stood within three meters of the weapon's trajectory into paste, just from the force alone.
In under two seconds, Natsu was dodging the spear, blocking a repeated attempt to strike him in the stomach. However, unlike all the blows that came before, this one was packing much greater power behind it.
Just barely enduring the strike, Natsu was blasted across the fortress, spinning midair as he watched lightning rip apart where he'd just previously been. The Dragonslayer had raised its lance high, right as Natsu regained his footing.
"Round two starts now," Natsu said through grit teeth, as his form rapidly began to increase in height, scales manifesting along his body, as the Dragonslayer rushed his position, its lance surging with raw lightning. "Let's see how you handle the Dragon Force!"
The second the Dragonslayer appeared, Natsu instantly deflected its lance, pinning it to the ground as he caught a darkness laced punch with his left hand, the ground beneath them cracking as the entire fortress trembled under their power.
Natsu Dragneel (Devil's Aura + Dragon Force Stage I + Full Power) – 207.24 Billion MPI
The Old Dragonslayer (Titan's Aura + Less Suppressed) – 212.81 Billion MPI
With his free hand, Natsu began preparing an attack as the Dragonslayer attempted to disengage, finding Natsu's grip on its hand ironclad. Releasing its lance, the Dragonslayer cocked back its right fist, lightning surging from its gauntlets as it sunk deep into Natsu's stomach.
Gritting his teeth, even as blood seeped through them, Natsu dragged the Dragonslayer closer, the tremors around them growing even stronger, as a combination of fire and lightning exploded from his right arm.
"Let's see how you take this, big guy!? Devil's Aura: Fire Lightning Dragon King's Roaring Sledgehammer!"
The Dragonslayer had no other choice than to brace, as Natsu smashed it in its helmeted face so hard, the ground behind him for a kilometer was fractured instantly. As Natsu followed through with the punch, the Dragonslayer simply vanished, a second shock-wave causing the damaged ground to fracture even further, as magma began to leak through the scarred surface.
A testament to the frightening displays of power the poor content was being subjected to.
The Dragonslayer smashed through countless bits of rubble, crossing the no man's land, and then smashing through two of the Mobile Jupiter Cannons, instantly destroying them, before smashing through a mountain range behind them.
After enduring countless tonnes of rock, the Dragonslayer finally lost momentum, hitting the ground and skidding all the way to the to the shoreline and across the beach, stopping along the water's edge.
All in all, being sent flying across the continent.
Natsu sighed, exhaling a sharp puff of steam, as the wound on his stomach rapidly regenerated. He knew full well that the Dragonslayer wasn't out of the fight, which was honestly far more concerning, considering just how much power he'd put out in that one, single strike.
"I've come a long way… Yet somehow, even with this much power, I'm still so far from my goal."
"From a certain point of view. How many do you know that wield power such as yours," Igneel replied quietly. "You're a lot closer to your dream than you realize. Those ahead are the masters of this world, or their origin lies beyond it."
"True," Natsu sighed, shaking his head as he looked down to the Dragonslayer's lance. "I should break this thing before he gets a chance to use it again."
Grabbing onto the lance, Natsu was shocked when the lance itself released an electrically charged shock through his body, right as the Dragonslayer reappeared, kicking him in the chest and sending him skidding backward until he struck some nearby debris.
"What the-!?"
Prying himself free of the debris, he noticed the Dragonslayer grab its lance, twirling it at its side, before extending it fully out to its far right. The Dragonslayer had clearly suffered battle damage this time, its helmet suffering a major crack across the face plate, and its armor chipped and cracked.
The Dragonslayer then did something Natsu didn't expect, as it looked over toward him…
It shook its head, giving him a thumbs down.
"So, it isn't mindless? Does that mean it simply can't speak, or it won't?"
"I'd say we're going to find out," Igneel replied darkly, as the pair watched the spear begin to shimmer, slowly shrinking in size as it began melding into the Dragonslayer's right gauntlet.
The pair watched as the black, worn-down armor of the Dragonslayer became a brilliant gold colour. The damage also began to repair itself, as its Magical Power rapidly climbed once again, much to Natsu's chagrin.
"This explains why he can instantly teleport to wherever the lance is located," Natsu noted, as they watched the Dragonslayer enter its full form. "It also explains why I couldn't do anything more than grab the lance. The thing is literally part of its being."
"The good news is, it means we've pushed this thing into using everything it has to fight us," Igneel replied slowly. "The bad news…"
"Its going to be using everything it has," Natsu sighed, shaking his head. "Well, we've managed to push it back this far, right?"
Taking several steps forward, Natsu was about to engage the Dragonslayer once again, only to be interrupted by multiple city sized explosions that rocked the Vampire fortress and the surrounding area.
Natsu and the Dragonslayer both took to the skies to avoid the attacks, but not before both were caught up in the blasts, dealing some damage to the pair. Once he was in the air, however, Natsu's jaw dropped at what he was seeing.
"What the fuck…?"
"I'm counting at least twenty-two Mobile Jupiter Cannons," Igneel mused. "I guess Jose Porla wasn't the only one who like using them, eh?"
"None of this crap was part of the damn plan," Natsu growled, clenching his fists in frustration. "What the Hell are-!?"
Natsu's attention was drawn back to the Dragonslayer as he sensed a sudden surge in power coming from it. The being had raised its right hand high above its head, forming a solid bolt of golden lightning, clearly intending on throwing it at his position.
"Shit," Natsu hissed, narrowly avoiding the attack as he watched the attack strike the ground below, setting off a colossal explosion that fully opened up the now destroyed ruins below. "Shit…"
The Dragonslayer shot toward his position; its punch being blocked by Natsu's shin. Gritting his teeth, he could feel the power of the Dragonslayer pushing through him, the ground beneath them shuddering.
The pair broke off their clash as the Dragonslayer quickly moved to rush Natsu, throwing a darkness laced punch at his chest. Natsu easily caught and redirected it, straightening his fingers as he moved to slash at the Dragonslayer's face, narrowly missing as his fiery fingers scratched the surface of its helmet.
Extending his left hand, Natsu's fingers lengthened into tendrils, moving to ensnare the Dragonslayer, who released a burst of raw lightning the moment they made contact. The lightning began to travel up the tendrils, forcing Natsu to sever them himself as the Dragonslayer immediately began trying to break free.
Seeing an opportunity, Natsu was before the Dragonslayer in a flash and delivered a brutal upward kick to the construct's chin, right as it broke free. The Dragonslayer floated backward, its helmet being knocked clean off, flying off into the distance, as it clutched its face.
"What the…?"
Beneath the armor of the Dragonslayer was the decomposing corpse of what appeared to be a humanoid male. Its skin had turned a strange bluish green colour, its eyes white and lifeless.
"That is the reality of what the Titans used to be like," Igneel replied solemnly. "They would take beings from across existence, twist and change them to suit their needs, then force them into service. They despised the war the Gods, Devils and Dragons brought upon them, and so sought to bolster their rank with an army of beings such as this…"
"He's like a zombie," Natsu muttered, noticing its eyes meet his, a tinge of gold flickering forth within their milky depths. "All the more reason to put him down now, even to just get him out of his misery."
"Agreed," Igneel nodded, as the fight continued.
The Dragonslayer continued to battle with the same ferocity as before, the pair flashing about the battlefield exchanging a brutal series of blows before finally reappearing on the ground. The pair crossed fists, skidding backward a short distance before Natsu charged the Dragonslayer in the hopes of catching him off guard.
However, the Dragonslayer was ready, sidestepping his punch and delivering a brutal uppercut, causing Natsu to stagger backward slightly, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth and down his chin.
"Okay… I walked into that one," Natsu huffed, spitting out a glob of blood before wiping his chin. "But you should know that I'm a glutton for punishment, so you'll need to do better than that!"
The Dragonslayer immediately rushed Natsu, moving to deliver a powerful strike to his face, only for Natsu to catch the punch with his right hand, the veins across his arm pulsing, his muscles fully tensed.
"Like I said," Natsu growled, cocking back his left fist as fire exploded across his entire arm, the deep purple of gravity molding around it. "You'll need to do a lot better…than THAT!"
Natsu struck the Dragonslayer in a near identical uppercut to the one he'd just taken moments prior. However, as the Dragonslayer was sent skyward, it found that gravity immediately began dragging it back toward Natsu once again, the Devil charging up yet another attack in his right hand.
"Let's see how you like this one! Devil's Aura: Fire Gravity Dragon King's Zero Graviton Fist!"
As the Dragonslayer shot toward Natsu at high speed, the Devil's fist exploded with blue fire, before smashing the entity in the chest, as it coughed up black blood. The attack continued to take effect as the Dragonslayer hit the ground hard, with Natsu fully following through as he pushed himself up into the air, right as the ground cratered from the gravitational weight behind the strike.
The Dragonslayer was bombarded from multiple directions by drastic shifts in gravity, all whilst being roasted by raging blue fire. Its body was smashed about, bending and snapping in multiple directions, before finally twisting up like a noodle as a monstrous explosion engulfed the area that could be seen hundreds of kilometers away.
As for Natsu, he slowly landed nearby, panting slightly as he cautiously dropped to one knee. Though he could still fight, he felt pain from every spot the Dragonslayer had struck, likely owed to its unique Aura and its Dragon slaying abilities.
Looking through the black smoke, Natsu's eyes narrowed in on a figure marching out of the smoke, a small, fatigued smirk making its way across his features.
"Well shit…"
***POTD***
Meanwhile, as Natsu resumed his fight with the Dragonslayer, Eliza was currently dispatching the Mobile Jupiter Cannons. All in all, not a terribly difficult task, but at least it was something for her to do.
However, she wasn't happy.
Naturally, Eliza could sense the sort of foe Natsu was facing, and was livid that she wasn't allowed to participate in it. The chance to face a construct from the age of the Titans was a rare occurrence, and one she'd not had the pleasure of enjoying.
But it did beg the question…
"Why is it here," Eliza mused, flicking her wrist as she casually sliced a Jupiter Mark II clean in half. "Out of all the places to locate something like one of the old Dragonslayers, why here?"
Looking back toward the remaining ten Jupiter Cannons, Eliza narrowed her eyes, vanishing in an instant as two of the mountainous constructs exploded. The War Goddess appeared on the other side, lazily throwing a sword at another one as it sliced the barrel of a third one clean in half.
"What could this mean? For a construct of the Titans to be found in this world, surely that means that there are other traces of them left behind here?"
Looking off in the direction of the fight, watching as the Dragonslayer emerged from the massive explosion off in the distance, Eliza couldn't help but worry.
"I pray I'm wrong. But something's telling me that the Dragonslayer is the least of our concerns upon this continent," Eliza muttered gravely, vanishing and reappearing atop the barrel of another Jupiter Mark II. "I pray for your swift victory Natsu. From what I can see, the real fight has yet to come…"
Stomping down on the barrel of the Jupiter Mark II right as it was about to fire, the entire mobile platform exploded, as Eliza flashed away, her mind on much more important matters.
***POTD***
Natsu slowly rose to his feet as the Dragonslayer fully emerged from the smoke. Its body had recovered to a degree, its power having increased drastically, undoubtedly in order to survive his attack.
"Seems like this is it," Natsu murmured. "It using everything it has now, even in its injured state."
"Time for you to take it out Natsu, before it can do anything that can turn the tables."
Natsu nodded internally, sliding into a defensive stance, as his Aura exploded around him, the Dragonslayer doing the same. The pair remained in place, their power steadily climbing, as Natsu entered the Stage II Dragon Force.
"This is it," Natsu said to the being. "From here, it all ends!"
Natsu Dragneel (Devil's Aura + Stage II Dragon Force + Suppressed) – 544.72 Billion MPI
The Old Dragonslayer (Titan's Aura + Full Power + Injured) – 494.88 Billion MPI
"You've shown me the strength of a servant to the Titans today, and its something I'll not soon forget," Natsu spoke, as the pair shot toward one another. "Although I've got a long way to go…"
Both combatants cocked back their right fists, seemingly going for a clash. Right as they were within a meter of one another, Natsu's left hand suddenly shot out, as he placed it atop the Dragonslayer's right fist, using the momentum from his movement to flip over the attack, as he struck the Dragonslayer atop the head with full force.
The Dragonslayer instantly dropped to the ground, skidding along hard enough to rip through the earth, as Natsu landed where he'd stood, turning back to face him with a stern expression.
"…I won't lose to you."
For the first time since the battle began, the Dragonslayer seemed to show some semblance of emotion, immediately launching himself up from where he lay in an attempt to strike Natsu once again.
However, Natsu was ready, easily deflecting the attack with his left hand, as he straightened the fingers of his right.
"Devil's Aura: Fire Dragon King's Piercing Claw!"
Intending to pierce through the Dragonslayer's chest, it managed to alter its position just enough so that the attack only sliced open the breastplate instead. The Dragonslayer staggered backward, the breastplate fading away to reveal the Dragonslayer's necrotic torso, as it moved to strike Natsu once again.
Easily sidestepping its attempt to punch him, Natsu almost felt sorry for it, as he swatted aside its punch, cocking back and striking it through the chest with a follow-up Piercing Claw.
The Dragonslayer grunted, its entire body stilling, as Natsu's attack shattered what felt like a mechanical shell surrounding its heart. Ripping his arm free, black blood poured from the wound as the Dragonslayer stumbled backward, its eyes wide.
"You…Are…Worthy…"
Natsu's eyes widened as the Dragonslayer spoke but three simple words to him, as it fell onto its back, the entity finally dead.
"Damn," Natsu muttered, reverting back to his regular form as he dropped down to one knee, inspecting the corpse of the Dragonslayer. "Considering that was my first time fighting any sort of higher being by myself…I think it went pretty well, all things considered?"
"It was a most impressive fight Natsu," Eliza agreed, popping in at his side, kneeling down to inspect the corpse. "Not quite as exciting as Irene's battle against the Vampire Queen, but you've certainly come far."
"Gee, thanks Eliza," Natsu smirked, as she gave him a playful shove. "So, I assume you know what this thing is?"
"Male Human, age appears to be around…five thousand two hundred and twelve," the War Goddess hummed. "Definitely not from this Reality, or any I know of?"
"So, what's the process now? What do I do with him," Natsu asked, knowing full well they couldn't just leave his corpse here. "If the Archons and the Gods of Creation and Destruction are in talks, should we present it to both groups?"
"I'll take it back and explain what happened," Eliza replied with a curt nod. "The presence of something from the Age of Titans will likely aid talks, rather than hinder them."
"Cool," Natsu sighed, still feeling pain from his fight with the Dragonslayer. "I guess this is what Dragons feel like when Dragon Slayers hit them?"
"Come on you," Eliza smirked, rising to her feet and pulling him up along with her. "Let's get you back to the makeshift camp Brandish, Yasmin and Seilah have set up."
"Cool. I think I want to lie down for a bit…"
"By the way, what happened to Alucard?"
"Well, we confronted the Vampire King, and they seemed to have some sort of deep history," Natsu explained, eyes narrowing deep in thought as he remembered the encounter. "The King spoke to me, said I had no place in their battle, then the Dragonslayer seemed to activate. I looked away for like thirty seconds and they were gone?"
"I daresay Alucard took him out of this Reality, most likely back to his own, so that they could fight," Eliza replied, looking up toward the darkened skies. "You should ask him about what happened the next time you see him?"
"Is he gonna be okay," Natsu asked, which surprisingly caused Eliza to burst out laughing.
"Oh my-my apologies Natsu, I forget how green you still are to all this," the War Goddess sniffed, wiping a stray tear from the corner of her eyes. "Alucard losing to anyone from his own reality is laughable. Trust me on that."
"Oh…"
"Anyway, let's get you back," Eliza continued, opening a portal as she extended her right hand, lifting up the corpse of the Dragonslayer. "Rest up Natsu, we need to speak later on some important matters."
"Alright Eliza," Natsu nodded, as he went through the portal, leaving Eliza alone with the corpse.
"Right then," the War Goddess sighed, closing her portal and reopening it again, as she strolled on through. "Time to engage in the greatest war of all… Politics."
***POTD***
Meanwhile, in another Reality, Alucard stood across from The Major, both guns aimed directly at him, much to the amusement of the blonde haired man.
"So, you brought me back to our own world Alucard? Not only that, but you bring me back to the war at its direst hour," the Major smirked, as explosions went off all around them, the sound of gunfire near deafening. "Did you bring me here to tease me? Torture me? Perhaps you have brought me here so that you may teach me some kind of lesson?"
"No," Alucard replied darkly, much to the amusement of the man.
"Of course not. You know just as well as I that this will never end! No matter how much time passes, or how much better you think you have become, I shall always come for you! I shall never rest until I've eradicated you from the face of creation!"
As he spoke, an explosion occurred a short distance away, the roar of charging soldiers echoing across the battlefield as they edged closer to their current position.
Alucard's serious demeanor didn't shift, even as he watched The Major's form shimmer, his clothing replaced with an all too familiar black officer's uniform.
"I know the score Major, you've even dressed to accentuate your point. I'm not a fool to believe someone such as yourself can be redeemed…"
"Excellent! Most excellent Alucard! I knew we understood one another!"
"The thing I don't understand Major is why you went so far in that world of Magic? Why did you marry a woman, making her your Vampire Queen, and become the leader of a Vampire cult? It contradicts everything you stood for?"
"Isn't it obvious Alucard? If I control all the Vampires, and you kill most of them before being killed yourself, then it would ensure the complete eradication of all that you are!"
"What? That doesn't make any sense? You married one, had a child with one? How does that fit in with your plan!?"
"Tsk. I forget how behind the times you always are Alucard," the Major smirked, shaking his head. "You know as well as I do how important it is for one to maintain appearances in order to string along the merry charade? Do you think the spider runs about along its web in order to draw its prey? No, it remains still, silent, blends in as much as possible and waits for its prey to be at its mercy!"
The Major smirked, drawing a pistol of his own and pointing it at Alucard, right as a platoon of soldiers dressed in similar attire to him charged over the hill, clearly surprised to see the pair.
"Lege deine Hände in die Luft Verbündeter Abschaum im Namen des Führers," one of the lead officers dressed in an identical uniform to The Major shouted, as the entire group aimed their weapons at Alucard.
The Major smirked, looking back over his shoulder toward the troops as he further cemented his position.
"Dieser Mann ist ein Feind des Fuhrers und des Dritten Reches, ich habe auch Grund zu glauben das ser ein Jude ist, was bedeutet, das ser sofort eliminiert warden muss!"
The soldiers acknowledged his words without question, as two heavily armoured vehicles slowly rose up over the hill, their guns trained on Alucard. The Vampire chuckled softly, shaking his head as he looked back up to meet The Major's gaze.
"I have a promise to keep to Seras, and I fully intend to keep it. I've fought through this war before Major, and I'll do it again! Du hast Seras die Fahigkeit genommen, ein Kind zu gebaren. Major Ich werde dich geschlagen und zerbogen vor mir sehen, dann bringe ich dich auf einem zerbrochenen Haufen zurück zu Seras unde sehe voller Freude zu, wie sie ihre gerechte Rache fordert!"
"Kommen Sie jetzt, Alucard, machen Sie keine Versprechungen, die Sie nicht halten können! Erinnerst du dich daran, was passiert ist, als du Seras versprochen hast, dass sie vor mir in Sicherheit sein würde? Ein Fehler ist ein Fehler zu viel, wenn es um unser kleines Spiel geht, nicht wahr? Selbst wenn du ein Teufel bist, habe ich trotzdem gewonnen!"
Alucard grew enraged at the Major's words, as his shadow began to seemingly emerge from the ground, his eyes glowing Blood Red. The shadow then began to attack the soldiers, who immediately began firing upon it, only to have the shadow slaughter them. The shadow then went through the armor of the vehicles behind the troops, making quick work of the crews inside them, before returning to Alucard's side and sinking back into the ground.
Alucard then shot forward and slammed The Major up against a tree, teeth barred and his fingers cutting into the man's flesh.
"You've gone too far this time Major! Any mercy I had for you is now gone! Ich werde dir jetzt die Aura meines Teufels zurücknehmen, bereite dich auf die Folter vor, die kommen wird!"
The Major tried to shoot Alucard however his shadow reached out and crushed the Luger's barrel rendering it completely useless, he then tried to punch Alucard directly however Alucard looked him straight in the eye as he tore his arm off without flinching as he screamed in pain.
He then looked right into The Major's Crimson Red eye, as it began to glow brightly. Slowly, a Crimson Aura began to travel from The Major's eye and into Alucard's own, until The Major's eye was a hollow white, the man falling unconscious.
Slinging the man over his shoulder right as another another patrol emerged and attempted to attack him, Alucard took one look at them and fired Jackal at the center of their group, setting off a large explosion, killing them all instantly.
Without a second thought, he opened up a portal and walked through, leaving behind the carnage for someone else to deal with.
***POTD***
Emerging through the portal, he was immediately met with several automatic weapons aimed in his direction. The guards were nervous, seeing the man wasn't even slightly bothered by them, glaring down at them with a steely gaze.
"W-Who are you!? What business have you, intruding at Buckingham Palace!?"
"I've come to speak with the Queen, as ordered," Alucard spoke plainly. "Out of my way."
"Do you think we're just going to let someone like you anywhere near her royal highness!? Are you mad!?"
"And who is that man you're holding, and why is he wearing the uniform of an SS Officer!?"
"This man was the mission, and I've brought him back to the palace as instructed by the Queen. Now, for the last time, get out of my way…"
The guards, spooked by Alucard's appearance and tone, were about to use force, when an aged voice immediately halted them in their tracks.
"What is the meaning of this! Let the man through for God's sake!"
The guards attention snapped behind them, as an elderly man slowly strolled out to meet them, a deep frown on his face.
"P-Prince Phillip!"
"Enough! I'll not have you harassing Alucard any longer, or my Wife will have all our bloody heads!"
"Thank you Phillip."
"Couldn't have used the front door by any chance, could you, Alucard," Prince Phillip sighed, motioning for Alucard to follow him into the palace proper. "You know ever since the whole Millennium incident; palace security has been tightened considerably."
"In my defense, I'm not exactly thinking like I normally would."
"Yes, I can see that. Not one joke about you mistaking me for a ghoul," Phillip replied, sneering at the unconscious form of The Major. "That him then? That the swine who wounded young Seras so grievously?"
"It is," Alucard nodded curtly in reply, as the pair rounded a corner. "It took a lot of work, but I finally managed to get him. For all his preaching about his hatred of Vampires, its laughable that he ultimately became one himself."
"He's a product of his time, Alucard. Being one of Adolf Hitler's most trusted SS Officers during the Second World War is proof enough of his delusions and madness," Phillip replied in disgust. "You've done good work finally bringing this bastard to justice Alucard, its been a long time coming!"
Alucard nodded silently, as the pair entered into the throne room. Seated upon the throne was an elderly woman with white hair who wore a regal dress. Her gaze was hard, almost glaring daggers into the form of The Major as Natsu tossed his unconscious form at her feet.
"It has been two years," the aged woman murmured. "Two years since I dispatched you to track down the last remnant of Millennium, and of the Third Reich. For two years this fiend evaded justice for his heinous crimes against both the people of my country, and the greater world at large."
"No longer, Elizabeth," Alucard replied, dispelling his hat and sunglasses as the Queen slowly rose from her seat, stepping toward Alucard.
"Quite true. Quite true indeed," Queen Elizabeth smiled, before returning her deathly glare to the form at her feet. "As for this…this, I want it taken deep beneath the palace and shackled! It has been a long time since the dungeons were used, but I do believe they shall be more than accommodating for the swine!"
"Of course, Elizabeth," Alucard replied, as the Queen turned away and looked out the window. "About Seras-?"
"I shall have someone fetch Seras and inform her of your return," Queen Elizabeth replied quietly, slowly striding over to the windowsill. "At last, Millennium is no more…"
Sharing a nod with Phillip, the Vampire picked up The Major and strode from the throne room, heading right toward the dungeons deep beneath the palace. The place with filthy, dark, damp and smelled horrendous, yet Alucard wasn't satisfied.
Walking all the way to the deepest, darkest, dirtiest cell in the farthest reaches of the dungeon, Alucard roughly tossed The Major inside, shackling him to the wall, before sealing the cell door shut.
As the door locked, Alucard froze, hearing the ever-familiar footfalls of a familiar Vampire. Slowly turning around, he saw Seras standing there, her appearance a disheveled mess, her eyes hard and full of pain.
"Alucard…"
"Seras," Alucard murmured in reply, as she slowly moved toward him. "I've returned…"
"I can see that," Seras replied quietly, placing a hand on his chest, unable to look him in the eyes. "You were gone for two years Alucard…"
"I know."
"You really spent two whole years hunting that fat piece of scum?"
"Well, for me its actually been a lot longer than two years," Alucard replied, shocking Seras as she looked up into his eyes, seeing no doubt to the truth of his words. "You know how it is with traversing other Realities…"
"So its true then? He actually did have access to the Gates?"
"I'm afraid so. It took me fourteen years to find him, and it was only by sheer chance that I did," Alucard replied sadly. "If the newest Devil hadn't stumbled across him and his new Vampire army, I'd still be searching now…"
"He made another army… Was it like Millennium!?"
"Worse. These ones would have wielded power that mere bullets couldn't prevent," Alucard replied darkly, shaking his head. "But it doesn't matter, because its all over now…"
Placing his hand gently atop her messy platinum blonde hair, Seras sighed as he gently ran his hand through it.
"I missed you…Master."
"I missed you too, my Draculina," Alucard smiled, only for the pair to freeze as a hollow chuckle echoed throughout the dungeon.
"So, this is how it is going to be? Throw me into the darkest, dirtiest cell you could find and forget about me," the Major asked aloud, clearly amused. "And is that Seras Victoria out there? Tell me Seras, how is your Son doing-?"
In less than a second, Seras had ripped the door, along with part of the brick wall clean out, tossing it aside as she moved to attack The Major. The enraged Vampiress' eyes glowed Crimson Red, her fangs barred as she tore the man's face apart with brutal punches.
Alucard quickly restrained her, dragging Seras back as she reached out to try and strike the restrained man further, before finally relenting, allowing Alucard to carry her under his arm.
Alucard looked back, seeing The Major's face had been mauled beyond recognition, though it slowly regenerated, as the man shot the pair the closest equivalent to a smirk that he could manage.
"You monster," Seras screeched. "Don't you ever speak to me about-!"
"Seras," Alucard spoke firmly, silencing her with but a word. "Enough… It's over."
Putting Seras down, he turned back to fully look at The Major, who still smirked away like he'd won, despite his current position.
"I'll inevitably escape from here you know? One day, I'll kill you all, Alucard! One day, I shall plunge this world into the greatest war it has ever seen, before moving onto the others!"
"Master…"
"I know they exist now, Alucard, and I know of countless forms of power I can wield to wage true war! I'll kill everything Alucahahard! I'LL KILL EVERYTHING! AHAHAHAHAHA!"
Alucard watched as the man had some sort of psychotic moment, cackling madly as he thrashed about on the wall whilst his face continued to repair itself thanks to his Vampiric form.
Nodding to Seras, Alucard walked back into the cell, leaning in to whisper something in The Major's ear...
"Nun, da du ein Vampir bist und sie so sehr hasst, warum fängst du dann nicht bei dir selbst an? Bringen Sie sich um, Major, und tun Sie der Welt ihren größten Gefallen ..."
Pulling back, Alucard smiled politely down at the man, who seemed to return to his senses as a snarl etched its way across his face. Yet Alucard continued to smile, and it angered him. He hated it, it wasn't the look Alucard should bear, not after all he'd done.
The Major began thrashing about in place once again, only this time, in anger. The man snarled, spit dripping from his fangs as he tried desperately to attack Alucard, but to no avail.
The Devil smirked, stepping back out of the cell, waving his arm as the darkness returned the cell door and bricks back into position, locking the man away. The Major roared as he watched Seras and Alucard walk away, unable to accept his loss.
The pair ignored him, as Alucard began to explain to Seras the journey he'd been on, and how he'd met the most amusing Devil named Natsu Dragneel…
***POTD***
The ruins of the Vampire fortress and it's collapsed castle smouldered, its forces lay slain, and the glory of the Vampire Royal family had been all but erased.
Almost.
Though the Vampire army and the Necro Lord and his undead legion were routed, slain, and obliterated by the enemy, one lone Vampire stood amidst the destruction atop what little remained of the castle. It was a male Vampire who had blonde hair and dark red coloured eyes. He wore a plain white suit with a black undershirt and clearly hadn't been a part of the greater fighting, his clothes unmarred.
"So, this was to be your legacy Father? Fire, chaos, destruction and death? Was that what you desired to see happen to Alvarez, Mother? To see your former home put to the torch and its people butchered? I think not..."
The Vampire Prince stood tall amidst the crumbling ruins of his parents fledgling Empire, a determined look in his eyes as he looked off into the far distance.
"I will see it for myself this...Alvarez, and make my own decision. This fight, it was a fight for fools and lunatics, and I'll play no part in it."
The Vampire Prince burst into a swarm of bats, flying off into the general direction of the Alvarez Empire, unaware of the magically cloaked individual who had been observing him.
Once the Vampire Prince was a considerable distance away, the cloaked individual dispelled their Magic, revealing none other than Zeref, who stood atop the crumbling Vampire Empire with a satisfied smile.
"It appears Draconia holds a few more secrets that evaded even my own eyes," the Black Wizard mused, looking off toward the collapsed ruins that once housed the Dragonslayer. "If the Titans once roamed this land, there would be other signs of their presence throughout the world? I have their Aura signature now... Perhaps, just maybe, I can use them to accelerate my plans..."
Chuckling softly to himself, Zeref vanished, leaving behind yet another destroyed nation, crushed at by the might of Alvarez...