A.N.: Sorry for the lack of update. I've been so focused on commissions I kept putting off my own original work. I can't promise I'll be better at finishing them but for now, let's continue the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail

Fairy Tail Vs Seven Deadly Sins

Chapter Twenty: The Shining Knight

Magnolia

The leader of the Sins and the Guild Master of Fairy Tail stared each other down. The moon was full, its full light making Pride's armor shimmer in the dark. "You must be Makarov. I've heard quite a lot about you." The handsome demon was calm, his body posture relaxed. In his hands was his gleaming sword and shield.

Makarov was the opposite. His eyes stared daggers at Pride, his body tense. Hands balling into fists, the old man readied himself for a battle. The streets were silent as they faced each other. All was quiet, as if the whole world was holding its breath in anticipation.

Pride slid forward half of step, starting off the battle. Jumping into the air, the small Wizard unleashed his first attack. His right arm stretched out and grew to massive size, forming a fist. Pride brought up his shield to block, only to be sent flying away.

The blow from Makarov's attack sent him hurtling through the air, far past the homes in Magnolia. The demonic knight landed on his feet in the middle of an empty field. "Taking the battle away from where the innocent townsfolk could interfere, eh?"

Floating in the air, Makarov stared down at Pride like a vengeful deity. "You will hurt no more innocents! Do you hear me! Your sick game is over!"

"On the contrary, old man." Pride simply smiled back at the angry Wizard. "This game is high stakes. And we're all in."

"Hrgh!" Makarov held up his hand. A seal of magic appeared in front of him to reveal his next attack. "Rain of Light!"

A barrage of holy magical blasts was sent flying towards Pride. To Makarov's shock, the demon didn't use his shield to block the magical attack, but instead chose to use his sword. In a stunning display of swordsmanship, Pride swatted the blasts away. The redirected attacks landed behind him, exploding a cloud of dust. Makarov knew that the man was a swordsman but that was a show of skill that rivaled Erza's.

Pride jumped into the air like a bullet, his arm already arcing back to swing his sword and cleave the guild master in half. Makarov floated out of the way just in time before he was bifurcated and retaliated with another giant hand punch. Pride deflected the blow with his shield and once again landed on his feet. His calm smile unnerved Makarov as he landed on the ground away from him.

'His swordsmanship is on par with Erza's and Kagura's and his physical skills are beyond human. But what kind of power does he have? Is it his armor? His weapons? Or is it something else?'

Makarov didn't know what to expect. Envy stole magic with her eyes. Lust hypnotized her victims with her music. Greed was a Celestial Spirt Wizard with an elemental staff and Wrath was a Dragon Slayer. But what power did the Apple of Sin give Pride?

As they circled each other, Pride could tell Makarov was trying to figure out his abilities. "What's the matter? Something on your mind, old timer?" he taunted.

"Just how I'm going to rip you apart. What you've done is beyond forgivness!" Makarov shot more bullets of light towards Pride. The blasts were once again swatted away before Pride was engulfed in a torrent of flame. The demon once again shielded himself, giving Makarov the opening he needed. Growing as big as he could, the Wizard brought his fist down with all the force in his massive frame.

The blow should have turned Pride into a pile of smashed meat and bones. But Makarov knew his punch failed when his fist met his shield and the demon endured the punch. "Ngh! Heheh…" chuckled Pride from behind his shield. "Excellent. The tales of your strength were clearly no exaggeration."

With speed greater than any human's, Pride leapt into the air and brought his sword down onto Makarov's shoulder. The guild master screamed in pain before batting the knight away, shrinking down to minimize the size of the wound; one of the benefits of being wounded as a giant was that when he shrank down, the wound shrank too.

Not one to let Pride take the pace, Makarov swung hard with his arm, unleashing a wave of ice. If one element failed, he'd try another. He had to find Pride's weakness. He could not let any more of his precious guildmates be hurt by the knight or his demonic companions. "What have you done with Hibiki?!" he demanded.

The shining knight smashed his way through the ice with his sword. Throughout the battle, his calm demeanor didn't drop. Makarov was one of the Ten Wizard Saints and his spells could fell any opponent. But Pride was proving to be the exception. "Mister Lates is currently assisting us. He was reluctant to help us so we had to give him a little motivation…" he said. Makarov could see a flicker of darkness in the man's handsome face and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up straight as they continued battling; Makarov kept floating the air to avoid his sword slashes and shield strikes while Pride blocked and deflected his magic.

"What are you planning, fiend?"

"Why ask questions you already know the answer?"

Makarov's eyes narrowed. "The World Tree. What are you planning to do when you find it?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Pride relaxed his stance. "This world has nothing for a demon like myself. But with Yggdrasil, I can fix that problem."

"So you intend to flee into the Multiverse? And pervert some other realm with your evil?!"

A haughty laugh filled the night sky. "Close, but no. If I fled to some new realm, who's to say it won't be any worse than this one? Three of the Seven have already fallen in this world alone. Who's to say the next world won't be filled to the brim with heroes?"

Makarov was confused. "Then what exactly is your plan?"

Smiling, the knight reached behind him and produced an apple and held it up. The fruit gleamed like a jewel in the moonlight before Pride took a bite out of it. "You've seen what one apple from the Tree of Sin can do to a man. Imagine if, oh say, its seeds were buried inside of the World Tree."

That sense of danger inside of Makarov grew by the second as he realized just what Pride intended. "You intend to corrupt Yggdrasil and-"

"And by extension corrupt the multiverse." Pride stretched out his arm in the direction of Magnolia. "Why simply conquer this world when I can turn all worlds into realms fit for demons. Then I can travel at my leisure and enjoy the fruits of my labors. Don't worry. When I'm finished, all of your children will join me in demonhood."

"I'll never let that happen! Never!" Makarov brought his hands together. "You don't deserve it, but I will give you one chance to surrender." The old man began to channel his magic into his last resort. "One…"

Pride made no intention of surrendering. He stood there with a confident smile on his face as he let Makarov charge up his spell.

"Two…"

Still Pride refused to sheathe his sword and yield.

"Three. So be it. I invoke Fairy Law!"

Light erupted from the field, shaking the ground. From inside the protected Fairy Tail, Mirajane looked out the window and gasped when she saw the light of Fairy Law unleashed. The other members of Fairy Tail watched in silence, knowing that if Makarov used his trump card, then his enemy must have been defeated.

Panting for breath, Makarov lowered his hands and let the smoke settle. "You will never harm my children again, monster."

"Oh really?"

Gasping in abject horror, Makarov's eyes widened in complete shock when he saw Pride emerge from the dust cloud. He'd taken Fairy Law head on but not only had he survived, he was completely unscathed! "Impossible! There's no way you could have-urgh!"

Makarov didn't see him move. One minute Pride was standing ten meters away, the next he was in front of him with his hand around the old man's throat. "Did you think I would fall as easily as my subordinates? Comparing me to the comrades I created…" Makarov's face twisted with terror as Pride showed his real face to the man. "Is like comparing an apple to the tree that produced it!"

The demon plunged his sword into Makarov, gleefully impaling the old man. Pulling out his blade, Pride let go of Makarov and let the guild master drop to the ground in a heap. "Now then…" The knight's face turned to normal as he turned back to the guild hall in the distance. "I believe I'll go visit your children and inform them the bad news. Hmm?"

Pride was stopped when he felt a hand grab his ankle. Still alive, Makarov glared up at the demon. "You…won't…hurt them…" he said through coughs of blood.

"Oh, I won't just hurt them. I'll break them. Staring by showing them your head…" The knight in bloodied armor raised his sword to decapitate Makarov.

"Enough!"

Pride brought up his shield just in time to block Mirajane's strike. In her Demon Soul form, the white-haired woman punched his shield repeatedly to force him back. Twisting her body, Mirajane slammed her tail into him to knock him away. Skidding back several feet, Pride looked at his new opponent curiously as she stood between him and the fallen Makarov. "Ah yes, Greed told me about you. The intriguing demon girl. Just who I was looking for."

"What?"

Producing an apple, Pride held it out to Mirajane. "I came here specifically for you. I'll offer you a deal, Mirajane Strauss. Eat from my Apple of Sin and I will let Makarov live. Well? What say you?"

To be continued…