Fairy May Cry - Devil's Retribution

by Iron117Prime

After seven years, Dante and the rest of Fairy Tail have returned from Tenrou Island. So much has changed since their absence; a guild called Sabertooth is now at the top spot, the forces of the Underworld are starting to become more active, and what's this new religious movement called the Order of the Sword? Times might have changed, but the insanity of Fairy Tail has not.

31. Origins

Hi everyone, welcome back. Here we got a mostly original chapter that will deliver some answers to some of your questions that you've all been wondering. (Not all of them, of course. Wouldn't have a story if that were the case LOL.) But I've got some surprises in store here and I'm sure you'll all like what I have planned. Now, with all that being said, let's get started.

Origins

Day One of the Grand Magic Games had come to an end. Night had fallen over the city of Crocus and nearly everyone had gone home for the day. All except those in the Fairy Tail guild as they all gathered at the Bar Sun tavern for a night of relaxing and drinking.

"Way to suck it up out there, losers." Cana said to several of Team A and B as she sat on a table, already having drunk a couple bottles. "Seriously, how can members of the great Fairy Tail be so pathetic? It was embarrassing."

"Aren't you forgetting that you're competing in the Games, too?" Lady's eyelids lowered. "You're dissing yourself when you say that."

"Shut it! At least our guy managed to get some points while this guy's group got jack squat!" Cana gestured Dante as he drank from a mug in his hands.

"Hey, it's not our fault those Raven Tail creeps cheated. My cousin would have won that thing." Dante replied.

"Less shouting, more drinking! We got a horrible defeat to celebrate over here!" Makarov shouted.

"Somebody's already wasted." Levy said with a slight laugh.

"This has certainly been an eventful day, hasn't it?" Erza asked as she sat next to Mira.

"No kidding. I think it's safe to say our work's cut out for us." Mira replied.

"Tomorrow's when it's all gonna change!" Natsu declared excitedly. "I'll jump in there and set the scoreboard on fire!"

"That's right! Natsu's gonna burn some booties!" Happy added.

"I'll be rooting for you Natsu! Go get em!" Lisanna encouraged.

Gajeel sat at the bar alongside Nero and Lily and happened to hear all that. "Huh? If Salamander's taken part, I may have to step in myself."

"Talk about the perfect opportunity to show him the fruits of your labor." Lily said.

"I got our team rolling in that fight, it'll be up to you keep it going rivet-head." Nero told Gajeel as he lightly pounded his arm. "But screw it up and I'll kick your ass."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, kid." Gajeel grinned.

Meanwhile, Gray and Lucy sat at a table that was mostly away from the rest of their guildmates and they didn't appear to be in such a celebratory mood as everyone else.

"Hey come on, now." Trish came up to Lucy with Juvia by Gray's side as always. "Don't let one bad moment keep you down. You kicked ass out there, kiddo." Trish said as she put one arm around Lucy's shoulders in an attempt to cheer her up.

"That's right. My love, you should not allow what happened to drown your spirits." Juvia added, speaking to Gray specifically.

"Don't worry, I'm alright." Gray assured as he stood up a bit with a serious expression. "I'm actually thinking about what that creep in Raven Tail said." He recalled when Nullpudding mocked the memory of his late foster mother.

"Unless that's all your dead-bitch teacher taught ya to do."

"That hag Ur must have been pretty weak ass if you don't even know how to fight."

"It's no wonder that bitch bit it the way she did."

"How in the hell did he know about Ur?" Gray wondered aloud.

"Given what I've heard about Raven Tail, it is a possibility they've done some research on yours and the history of everyone else in our guild." Juvia assumed.

"Yeah, messing around with people's past can definitely put them on edge." Trish said, looking away.

"Sure seems that way." Lucy said with a sigh as well as she stood up. "You doing okay, Gray? I mean… with what he said…"

"It's alright, I'm not gonna let it get me down." Gray assured as he finally smiled. "It'll make it even more satisfying when we put Raven Tail and Sabertooth in their place later on, right?"

An ambitious smirk fell on Lucy's face. "Got that right. We'll bring our guild back to the top, no matter what."

"There's the ambitious little Devil Hunter I helped whip in shape." Trish patted Lucy's head, causing the later to chuckle as she tried to playfully push Trish away.

"I haven't seen Modeus around." Kyrie said, looking around. "Where could he have gone?"

"He went to the infirmary where Porlyusica is watching over Romeo and the others." Macao answered. "Said he wanted to stand guard in case Raven Tail tried anything with them at night."

"I wouldn't put it past those creeps to try something like that again." Wakaba added.

"What about Mystogen?" Lady asked Erza.

"He went to reconvene with the others to go over what happened today." She replied, making sure to speak without saying any specific names to alert the attention of those not in Fairy Tail currently in the bar.

"Alright, everyone listen up!" Gildarts stood up with a mug in his hand, getting the attention of the entire guild. "Today may not have been our finest hour, but that only means we gotta work extra hard to get back to the top tomorrow! So don't go sulking on me! Let's rock these games and reclaim our title! We're the greatest guild in Fiore! Who's with me!?" He raised his mug up high.

"YEAH!" Everyone cheered as loudly as they could.

"What gives?" One patron said as he sat at the bar. "Did they drink so much, they forgot they were at the bottom of the barrel?"

"Don't look at me." The bartender replied.

The party was already in full-swing as everyone in Fairy Tail clung their mugs together, ate, drank and laughed. Natsu even managed to eat a whole roast in one sitting.

However, the Salamander's smile quickly faded as he picked up an odd scent. "What the heck…?" He got up from the table and walked toward the door, with Happy, Lisanna, and Lucy noticing him leaving.

---

The Fire Dragon Slayer was now outside the tavern, standing on a dock with a small river just below him. He took a few whiffs of the air, trying to pinpoint the odd scent.

"Hey Natsu, what's up?" Happy asked, coming outside.

"Thought I smelled something." He then walked down the docks, closer to an alleyway in-between the Bar Sun and a building next door.

"Are you sure you smell something?" Happy asked somewhat skeptically. "I mean a lot of people are here, maybe you just…"

Suddenly, Natsu pushed Happy to the ground as something shot out of the alleyway, colliding with Natsu, leaving a trail of blue fire behind as both Natsu and whatever leapt out soared over the river and onto the street on the other side.

"Natsu!" Happy yelled in surprise as Lucy and Lisanna stepped out, looking at what just happened in shock.

The Salamander was able to recover, landing on his feet and skidding to a halt to face who just attacked him. A certain blue-haired woman from a guild that he was all too familiar with.

"Think you might be a bit rusty there, Natsu Dragneel. Seven years ago, you could have both dodged and countered that. Guess your little cat-nap didn't do you any favors, did it?"

"You!" Natsu glared at his attacker. "You're from Raven Tail!"

"Yep, the name's Sapphire. Nice to finally meet you face-to-face. I'm a long-time fan of yours, Salamander." The woman named Sapphire said with a grin.

"Got a funny of showing it!" Natsu growled. "The Games are over for today, but since your guild went and attacked Wendy, Romeo, and their friends…" His right fist was lit aflame. "I think I'm in the right to seek vengeance for their sake!"

A blue flame was lit in Sapphire's left palm. "Well then, let's consider this an exhibition match." She charged at Natsu, who rushed her in response. Both their flaming fists collided with each other's faces, sending them both skidding back. But Sapphire went on the attack next as she chopped at the ground, sending a wave of blue flame at Natsu, who leapt to the top of a small building on his left to avoid the flames.

"She uses fire too, huh?" Natsu mused, but looked in surprise to see the flames clearing away, revealing patches of ice along the ground. "Ice magic?" A blue-flamed fist struck his jaw as Sapphire shot up from the ground below him.

"Don't get distracted!" Sapphire told him as she rushed him again, throwing a flaming punch his way, but Natsu caught her fist and pulled her into a punch of his own before striking with a flaming kick to the side to send her to the roof of the next building over. Natsu then jumped into the air to try and strike her from above, but Sapphire brought both her hands together to generate a large ball of blue flames, which she threw at Natsu, where it made direct contact.

However, as one would expect, the flames didn't explode once they touched him. Rather, they shrunk with the sound of a slurping noise. The blue flames further died down to reveal Natsu consuming them as how he does with other forms of fire before landing on the roof to face Sapphire again.

"That might be the coldest fire I'd ever tasted." Natsu said as he wiped his mouth before standing up straight. "But it's still fire, and most flames don't work on me!"

"Figured. But I can still beat the crap out of you." Sapphire said, with a smirk that mimicked Natsu's.

"Then how about you like a taste of my flames!? Fire Dragon Roar!" Natsu fired his own breath attack at Sapphire, who merely stood there and made no attempt to dodge or even shield herself. In fact, her smirk only grew as the attack hit. "She didn't even dodge that?" Natsu questioned as he saw his fire engulfing that particular area of the roof. "Her fire was definitely different from that chick Lucy fought… and it's way colder than Romeo's own blue fire… but why does it feel so familiar?"

*GULP!*

Natsu stopped thinking for a second, hoping his ears were playing tricks on him. Did he just hear a gulp coming from his flames?! He then heard another one. And another. In fact, he heard the exact same type of noise he would make whenever he helped himself to a flaming hot meal. He was even further surprised to see the fire in front of him shrinking and receding. But when they reached a certain point… his eyes widened, and his pupils shrunk at what he was seeing.

It was Sapphire! Eating his flames! She was consuming his own element just like he would!

"No way…!" He couldn't believe it. Seeing his own fire being consumed like that reminded him too much of his encounter with Zancrow back on Tenrou Island.

Now it was Sapphire's turn to wipe her mouth as she inhaled the last of the fire. "Thanks for the snack, now I got a fire in my belly." Her cheeks puffed up as she prepared her next attack.

"Azure Dragon…!"

"What…?!" Natsu's pupils shrunk. Did he mishear that?!

"…Roar!"

Sapphire unleashed a large torrent of blue flames from her mouth in the form of her own breath attack. Natsu was so shocked by this that he was unable to dodge or defend himself as the attack struck him, sending him flying off the rooftop and crashing into the streets below.

He tried to recover, only to look in shock as he saw ice and frost covering most of his body. He had gotten used to fighting the cold from his frequent spars with Gray, but this felt even colder. He honestly felt a shiver, which grew even more as his opponent landed in front of him with a sinister smile.

"You're a Dragon Slayer?!"

"Yep." Sapphire confirmed. "But not like you or even those idiots in Sabertooth. I'm a Second Generation, like your friend Laxus. When I was a kid, a lacrima was implanted in my body, giving me the ability to use Dragon Slayer magic. Specifically, the Azure Dragon." She produced another blue flame in her hand. "Fire so cold that it burns. I'd bet it's even colder than your friend's cute little Ice Make magic."

Natsu got serious as he tried to stand up, producing a large flame around himself to melt and burn away at the ice that covered his body, which he was successfully able to do. "Yeah?! So what! I've gone up against guys way tougher than you!"

"Then let's keep going!" She beamed almost sadistically. "I said I was a huge fan of yours, so I'm honestly really giddy! Show me what you can do, Natsu the Salamander!" She leapt at him again, and Natsu was more than prepared to stand his ground and fight back…

Suddenly, a huge wall of flames erupted in-between the pair, forcing Sapphire to halt her attack. But she was even further surprised to see the flames taking shape and physical form, one that resembled a living tiger, which growled and glared at her, prompting her to back away.

"Not today! Back off!"

Stepping out in the street was none other than Bruni, who carried a sword-like weapon in one hand, fire-tiger, all connecting to the blade itself. He stepped in front of the surprised Natsu to face Sapphire with a glare.

Though surprised at first, she chuckled. "Well, well, well. I see the title 'Master of Flames', isn't just for show? So, to what do I owe the honor of a Wizard Saint's presence?"

"Fighting outside the Games is prohibited!" Bruni told her. "If you don't want to get your guild disqualified, I suggest you back off."

"Last time I checked, you weren't an official for the Games, so I don't think you can make that call." Sapphire said. "But if you wanna join in the fun… I'd be happy to oblige you!" She generated more of her blue flames around her arms. Bruni responded by swinging his own blade, generating more flames from it while also reshaping the fire-tiger in front of him to take the form of an elongated whip of fire, which burnt around him like a massive serpent, causing Natsu to look in amazement.

"Then maybe we should step in, too?"

This came from Gildarts as he walked up from behind Natsu, with Makarov, Lucy, and Lisanna right beside him as well.

"Natsu, are you okay?" Happy asked as he flew up to his best friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He replied, not taking his eyes off Bruni.

"Well, well, if it isn't Fairy Tail. Even the master's old man." Sapphire grinned. "It even looks like Flare's playmate came out tonight." That earned a glare from Lucy.

"That's quite enough, Sapphire." She glanced behind her to see none other than her guildmaster walking forward. "We don't want to cause too much of a commotion, do we?"

With a sigh of disappointment, Sapphire's blue flames died down as she stood up straight. "Of course not, Master Ivan."

Bruni stood down as well, the flames from his sword receding and vanishing, revealing his weapon to be a long double-edged golden sword with an opening from the tip of the blade, all the way down the middle toward the handle where a small flame continued to burn. Though he, and those in Fairy Tail, all seemed to lower their defenses, they all glared at the leader of Raven Tail as he stood before them.

"Ivan…" Makarov growled.

"I do apologize for my subordinate's behavior, Sir Bruni." Ivan spoke to the Wizard Saint directly. "Young Sapphire has always been something of a thrill-seeker, as well as a long-time admirer of the Salamander, so I suppose she couldn't help herself."

"Just get her back with the rest of your guild and don't let me catch any of them doing something like this again." Bruni told him.

"Of course not, you have my word. Come along, Sapphire." Ivan said as he turend around and prepared to walk away with his Dragon Slayer.

"Hey!" Natsu called out to him one last time. "We haven't forgotten what you did to Wendy, and for what your pals to Lucy and Gray in the Games, we'll make sure to pay you back! Count on it!"

Ivan turned around one last time with a mixture of a grin and a glare. "Seems like you got an unruly dragon yourself, old man. You'd do best to keep him on a leash, or else something bad might happen."

"The boy can handle himself, as well as most of my children. You would do well to remember that." Makarov replied to his estranged son.

"Your children, huh?" Ivan practically spat that word with disgust. "Then you'd better take good care of them. After all, you let this drunken womanizer here be your successor, so don't be too upset if he ends up running your guild into the ground."

"I think I can manage." Gildarts said. "Now get going."

Ivan smirked one last time before walking away.

"See you next time, Natsu." Sapphire waved to him, before looking at Lucy and Lisanna. "Cute girls, by the way." She said before catching up with her leader.

Once they were gone, the setting became much more relaxed as Bruni sheathed his blade and turned around to address those in Fairy Tail.

"Thank you for your assistance, Bruni." Makarov smiled to his fellow Wizard Saint.

"No problem, old man. Wouldn't want those pricks in the Magic Council to disqualify you just because your boy was defending himself." Bruni joked.

"Those guys always have it out for us." Lucy comically cried as Lisanna patted her shoulder.

"It's alright Lucy, everything's fine now." She smiled apologetically.

However, while everyone else was relieved at how quickly the situation was resolved, Natsu still had a serious expression on his face as he walked right up to Bruni, causing him to look a little nervous.

"Eh… you need something?"

"You're from Edolas, aren't you?" Natsu questioned bluntly, causing everyone to look in surprise as even Bruni's eyes widened. "Your voice… your scent… you sound and smell just like Igneel."

If they weren't surprised before, they were now.

"Igneel…?" Happy, Lucy, and Lisanna all muttered simultaneously.

'The Dragon that raised Natsu?' Gildarts thought in surprise.

"And I don't mean you smell similar to him…" Natsu continued. "Even family members can smell differently, but yours is a one hundred percent match. We know somebody else a lot like that. Plus, most of my friends and I have been to Edolas and everyone there smells exactly like the people who live here. And I would never mistake Igneel's scent."

Bruni didn't respond right away, still not over the shock he felt. But he soon sighed as a slight smile formed on his face.

"Guess there's no fooling a Dragon Slayer." He admitted. "Yeah, you're right. I am from Edolas, and I'm the counterpart to the Fire Dragon, Igneel."

"WHAT!?" All of them, excluding Natsu, shouted in surprise.

"You're from Edolas…?!" Lisanna stuttered.

"He's just like Porlyusica!" Happy exclaimed.

"Master… did… did you know about this…?" Lucy looked towards Makarov, still not over her shock.

"No, this is news to me." Even his eyes were widened.

"Sorry Maky, not that it was a big secret or anything… I just didn't wanna cause too big a fuss." Bruni said, rubbing the back of his neck apologetically. "But Kurenai knows. She said she was friends with Igneel, and I explained it to her."

"Of course she would know that…" Makarov muttered, unsurprised.

"You knew Igneel?" Natsu asked. From the way he was speaking, it sounded like they did encounter each other.

"Well… not personally. We met only once, but not exactly face-to-face." Bruni tried to explain it as best he could. "I stumbled onto Earthland by complete accident when I was young. But seeing how nice it was compared to Edolas, I decided to stay. Not long after that, while I was sleeping… I had an odd dream. Somehow your dragon was able to contact me, almost like it was some kind of telepathy. I guess it's because we were counterparts to each other?" He assumed with a shrug.

'That sounds a lot like what happened with Porlyusica and Grandeeney…' Lucy thought.

"He wanted to know who why I was and how I came to be." Bruni continued. "I explained it all to him and seemed pretty acceptant of it."

"Do you know where he is? Have you spoken to him recently?" Natsu asked hopefully.

"Sorry kiddo, but I don't." Bruni replied, causing Natsu to look down in disappointment.

"Wait… if you're from Edolas, how did you end up becoming a Wizard Saint?" Lisanna asked.

"Yeah, everyone except Exceeds don't have any inner magic power." Happy added. "All the people we met there had to use magic tools."

"It was all because of this bad boy." Bruni took out his sword again. "It's called Prometheus. I found it during my early days here in Earthland. It's capable of producing a near infinite amount of flames, which I can use to shape into whatever I want. I can make a bigger sword, or other weapons like clubs, hammers, spears, whips, nunchucks, heck I can even make animals out of it, or even coat myself with it like armor, giving myself claws or even wings. And, not to brag or anything, but I'm a pretty impressive swordsman if I do say so myself." Bruni spun his sword around like a master, not generating any flames from it at all before taking a pose akin to a master swordsman. "Back in Edolas, swordsmanship was pretty much my forte. That combined with all the cool flame-tricks Prometheus can do, and I rose up quickly enough to become a Wizard Saint."

"I see…" Makarov looked at both Bruni and Prometheus. "It's no wonder I haven't seen you fight without that weapon."

"Again, sorry I didn't tell you, old man." Bruni apologized as he put Prometheus away. "I just didn't want to make a big deal out of it, ya know?"

Natsu looked at the man who was the Edolas counterpart to Igneel. While he could see the similarities other than his scent and voice, they were almost complete opposites. Igneel was aggressive, hot-tempered, straight-forward, and even arrogant at times. But Bruni was more laid-back, casual, and somewhat humble. Though he did seem cocky, it was more out of fun rather than the arrogance Igneel had. He really was from Edolas. Though Natsu was disappointed that Bruni had met Igneel, yet he didn't know where he currently was; something about meeting this man just made Natsu happy. Was this how Wendy felt when she met Porlyusica?

"Hey, the rest of us is partying up at the bar. You wanna join us?" Natsu offered.

Bruni shrugged. "Sure. Why not? I could use a drink. You guys are picking up the tab, though."

"Nah, you pay for your own." Gildarts joked. "My daughter's already gonna run us dry with how much she's drinking."

That earned a laugh from everyone present.

---

Meanwhile, Ivan and Sapphire had returned to the private Inn that Raven Tail had rented out for the duration of the Games and were met inside by Alexi, Nullpudding, and Kurohebi.

"Well, how did it go?" Alexi asked.

"Pretty good." Sapphire said. "Me being a Dragon Slayer caught Natsu by surprise, but I can tell he hasn't lost his touch. He seems just as strong now as he was back then, if not stronger. But one of the Wizard Saints broke it up."

"Given the circumstances, it makes sense we'd draw a crowd." Alexi removed his helmet to reveal it was none other than Ivan himself. "The question is, how exactly did the core members of Makarov's guild maintain their strength even after being displaced from time the way they were?"

The other Ivan that had accompanied Sapphire removed a Shikigami that the true Ivan had provided for him, causing the illusion to fade to reveal that it was really Sid in disguise the entire time.

"Fairy Tail has many allies, including the independent guild Crime Sorciere, many of its members wielding Lost Magics." Sid answered. "I'd say it was probably them who provided a helping hand."

"Oooh, Fairy Tail's getting help from criminals." Kurohebi chuckled. "Maybe we can use that."

"Perhaps, but not right now." The true Ivan said as the group walked deeper into the Inn, down a hallway. "We don't have any evidence that they are at all interacting. And Crime Sorciere's reputation is nothing to scoff at either, given they obliterated several dozen dark guilds and more than a few demons. I'd rather we be cautious around them until we obtain the Lumen Histoire."

Nullpudding groaned in anticipation. "I hate all this sneaking around! When are we gonna finally make our move?!"

"Soon, Nullpudding." Ivan assured. "We can't afford to be careless. Many of the guilds participating in the games are allies of Fairy Tail and we can't afford to pick a fight with all of them." He growled. "That old man… I tried to make his guild strong… but instead he'd rather have those other guilds hold his so-called children's hands. It's no wonder Fairy Tail's fallen as far as it has these past seven years."

"That could change if they win this year's Games." Sid said as they came to a door at the end of the hall. "With Sparda's son on their side, things are looking in their favor. Not to mention that Nero-character was able to hold his own against Iron Rock Jura."

Ivan smiled wickedly. "Fortunately, we have our own personal ace in the hole." The door opened to reveal Obra standing inside, and right behind him was Flare. She was being held up by her wrists, tied by a chain that kept her hanging from the ceiling with a cloth tied tightly over her mouth. She was covered in bruises as she looked with frightened eyes to see Ivan approaching her.

"Keeping her magic in check, Obra?" Ivan asked as the tiny demon on the larger puppet's shoulder gave a chuckle in confirmation. "Good. Wouldn't want that pretty hair of hers causing a ruckus."

Ivan reached forward to remove her gag. Flare whimpered as Ivan lightly cupped her chin. "Now, now, my dear. No need to cry."

"I… I'm sorry Master Ivan… She… she was just so strong… I… I just thought…"

"I'm not mad at how strong that blonde tramp was, Flare." Ivan said before his eyes gazed down at her in dark fury. "I'm mad with how you were so quick to try and surrender to her!" He punched her in the gut, causing her to hack up some blood as she attempted to scream, but the blow had knocked the wind out of her. He then seized her by the throat and brought her close to his angered face. "You're supposed to be my elite! Raven Tail does not surrender! Especially not to Fairy Tail! You should be more willing to die than to surrender!" He smacked the back of her hand across her face.

"I'm sorry! It won't happen again!" Flare sobbed. "Please don't hit me again! Please…!" She was silenced as he once again tied the cloth around her mouth.

"I can hit you as much as I want! I own you, bitch! Remember that?!" He continued to beat her senseless as she couldn't even scream or shout. Kurohebi, Nullpudding, Obra and even Sid all chuckled at the poor girl's misfortune.

However, there was only one person who wasn't laughing. Sapphire silently glared in Ivan's direction as he continued to bear his fists down on Flare. Unable to do anything to stop him.

---

Bar Sun

"So Raven Tail has their own Dragon Slayer, huh?" Dante mused, sitting at a table alongside Lady, Trish, Lucy, Lisanna, Gray, and Juvia as Happy told them the whole story. "And that guy over there is supposed to be the Edolas Igneel." He gestured towards Bruni as he sat the bar along with Natsu, Gildarts, and Cana, all sharing a drink together and laughing.

"Yeah, that about sums it up." Happy confirmed.

"You don't seem all that surprised, Dante." Lucy pointed out as Dante drank from his mug.

"Hey, you been in this guild for so long, nothing really surprises you anymore." The red-clad Devil Hunter stated.

Lisanna looked towards the smiling Natsu as Bruni slung his arm over him in a friendly fashion with a grin that was just as big as Natsu's, both appearing to be enjoying themselves. This only caused Lisanna to smile heartwarmingly at them.

"What's up?" Lucy asked upon noticing Lisanna's expression.

"Look at them." Lisanna said, her smile never vanishing. "They're getting along so well. I'm sure Natsu knows that Bruni isn't the Igneel he knows but… just the way they're interacting, it's almost like Natsu found a long-lost member of his family that he didn't even know he had. I can't imagine how happy Natsu is and… that makes me happy too."

Lucy saw the expression on Natsu's face and couldn't help but smile as well, truly happy for the Dragon Slayer that she had come to love.

"Still, the fact that Ivan has a Dragon Slayer in his ranks is very concerning." Erza said as she was near the table as well, getting back to the subject of Raven Tail.

"And apparently, she's got some kind of fire-ice power working for her." Gray pointed out.

"I'm confident that you could easily defeat her, my love!" Juvia proclaimed to him. "Nobody can ever hold a candle to you when it comes to ice magic!"

"Yeah, sure." Gray replied simply.

"What exactly is the deal with that Ivan-guy anyway?" Lady asked, glancing toward Makarov as he sat on top of a table with a drink in his hand. "Isn't he supposed to be your son? What did he do to make you hate him so much?"

Trish, Dante, and even Lucy found themselves rather curious as well. Though they knew that Makarov and Ivan didn't have the best relationship, they didn't know the full story surrounding it. Given that Ivan formed his own guild that seemed to specifically target Fairy Tail implied that it was a story that didn't exactly have a happy ending.

The former master of Fairy Tail gave a sigh before he began to tell the story. "Ivan was once a part of Fairy Tail. He was always a rather ambitious individual, and while ambition can be a good thing if aimed in the right direction; he always took things too far, going to extreme lengths to get what he wanted."

"Didn't he put a lacrima inside Laxus to give him Dragon Slayer magic?" Lucy recalled.

"That's right." Makarov confirmed. "When he was young, Laxus had always been a frail and sickly little child; Ivan felt that giving him the power of a Dragon Slayer would make him stronger, claiming it was an act of fatherly love."

"Yeah, if you got a screw-lose." Trish commented, with Lady looking toward her arm that bore her Devil Slayer marks. The mention of a father putting something inside their child's body to give them power brought back unpleasant memories for her.

"Around the time Laxus became a teenager, a new guild moved into Magnolia called Gorilla Boss." Makarov continued. "To say they were sketchy would be an understatement. Crime rate in the city sky rocketed when they moved in, a lot of us believed that so-called guild was actually a front for organized crime, but we had no proof and couldn't step in without getting an earful from the Magic Council. Ivan volunteered to go in undercover and expose any secrets they had, a good idea, but I decided against it… thinking we may get a more effective result if we took things slow and not put any of our guildmates in danger."

"Let me guess, he went along anyway?" Dante assumed.

"Not just that, he took six of his fellow Fairy Tail members with him." Makarov answered. "They were able to infiltrate Gorilla Boss, but couldn't find anything incriminating. One night, Ivan arranged for his comrades to look in their guildmaster's private quarters for anything… only for them to be caught in the act. Gorilla Boss then had those members killed."

Lucy, Lisanna, Juvia, and Happy gasped in shock; Lady and Trish's eyes all widened along with Gray, while Dante kept on listening with a serious expression, getting the sense this wasn't the worst of it. He glanced towards Erza and saw that she held her head down in remorse, those people were likely friends that she knew as a kid in Fairy Tail.

"In actuality, that was Ivan's plan all along." Makarov revealed, catching them even further by surprise. "He used a lacrima to record the act and gave it to the Magic Council immediately. The Rune Knights moved in and quickly arrested all of Gorilla Boss' members and disbanded the guild." Makarov's hand clenched around the handle of his mug. "And the worst of it… Ivan didn't even have an ounce of regret or remorse for those actions! He even claimed he wanted those members to come because they were the physically weakest of our guild, saying that they 'finally made themselves useful to the guild for once'. Not only did he purposely endanger the lives of his comrades, he claimed it was all for the good of the guild, saying he was 'filtering the weak from the strong'. I had no choice but to expel him for that."

"I don't blame you." Lady said with a look of anger on her face. "He killed his own guys! He deserved to be kicked out! Hell, he should have been put in jail for that!"

"Getting rid of the weak to make Fairy Tail stronger, huh?" Gray mused, paying a glance towards Laxus on another end of the bar. 'That sounds familiar.'

"And now he's established his own guild, Raven Tail." Makarov said in a low growl. "I told the Magic Council at the time of his actions, and while Raven Tail wasn't necessarily approved as an official guild until recently, they had not committed any crimes in order to warrant their disbandment. So, they were an 'unofficial dark guild'."

"I can't believe anyone would do something like that… to their own guildmates…" Lisanna was in complete and utter shock along with Lucy. Happy and Juvia had similar expressions while Erza, Dante, Lady, and Trish were visibly angry. First he arranges for his own guys to be killed, now he's targeting Fairy Tail out of spite? He would pay for this.

"Indeed."

The group turned around to look in surprise at not only spirit of Fairy Tail's founding master approach them, but that of the Dark Knight beside her as well.

"Someone who would willingly endanger the lives of his comrades has no right to bear the Fairy Tail emblem." Mavis said.

"M-Master Mavis!" Makarov stood up. "S-Sir Sparda…!"

"Hey, old man." Dante said more casually.

"Good work out there today, all of you." Sparda told them, purposely changing the subject to a more positive note. "The outcome may not have been what you desired, but the tournament isn't over yet."

"Don't worry, we know." Lucy assured with a smile. "We're just gonna work even harder in the next few days and burn away the competition!"

"Someone's got a fire in their belly." Sparda noted to his niece with a smile. "Taking after a certain Dragon Slayer, I see." He teased, causing Lucy to blush, which grew even more as Lisanna leapt at her from behind to wrap her arms around her with a blushing smile of her own. This alone did help to elevate the spirits of the group, which was indeed Sparda's intent.

"Hey pop, while you're here, I got a question for you." Dante said, standing up to face the spirit of his father.

"What is it, Dante?" Sparda asked.

The red-clad Devil Hunter took out his titular sword. "The Rebellion… what exactly is it? What can it do?" Dante asked. "I mean, I hear it's got powers to rival the Yamato but I haven't seen much of anything. Modeus didn't know because you apparently made the Rebellion after you parted ways with him and Baul. But that creep Hades…" Dante noticed a look of discomfort and regret on both his father as well as Mavis at the mention of that name, but went on anyways. "He said that I wasn't using Rebellion to its fullest potential. So… what exactly can it do?"

Everyone else paid attention as well, as they too were rather curious.

"I suppose it's fair you would ask that." Sparda began. "The Rebellion does indeed have a special power, though it's not exactly combat-applicable in the sense the Yamato's power is. Tell me Dante, what do you believe the Yamato's power to be?"

"To slice, to separate or split…" Dante assumed. "I mean, you did use it to separate Earthland from the Underworld, right?"

"Indeed." Sparda confirmed. "But for every force, there must be an equal and opposite. Rebellion may have been constructed after the Yamato, but it was meant to be exactly that, it's equal and opposite. Yamato possess the ability to separate or sever… so, what do you believe the Rebellion to be?"

Dante took a moment to think about what his father had just told him, but it wasn't long before an answer came to him. "To… join? To merge or fuse?"

"To unify, yes." Sparda replied. "Just as the Yamato can separate, the Rebellion can unify. You recall when you first awakened your Devil Trigger?"

"After Vergil stabbed me with my own sword?" Dante asked rhetorically.

"Yes, but it was because he used Rebellion." Sparda answered. "While your body was physically stronger as a half-demon, your own demonic power was latent, stored away because you had yet to properly use, mostly relying on your own physical strength. But, once the Rebellion pierced your body, making contact with your blood… its own power awakened, essentially merging your latent demonic power with your physical form, giving birth to your Devil Trigger."

Everyone looked towards Dante and the Rebellion in surprise and awe. Gray, Erza, Lucy, and Happy in particular recalled that very instant, the first time they met Vergil as he not only stabbed Dante with the Yamato, but later ran the Rebellion through his body. His Devil Trigger then appeared for the very first time.

"I see… so that's what happened." Dante said, looking toward his own sword.

"And that wasn't the only instance." Sparda continued. "When you battled Midnight of the Neo Oracion Seis during the Fortuna Incident, you were trapped in the Genesis Zero void, correct?"

"Yeah… That's when my Devil Trigger evolved." Dante confirmed.

"How do you think it evolved the way it did?" Sparda asked rhetorically. "Midnight's ability had grown because he was infused with demonic power…"

"Power harvested from your corpse." Dante said with a grimace, which made everyone else, including Mavis, incredibly uncomfortable.

"Yes…" Sparda grimaced himself before continuing. "But that may have been a key factor as well. In a sense, that Genesis Zero was enhanced with my demonic power, the same kind of power that runs through your veins. When you first awakened your Devil Trigger, Rebellion had become entuned with your power, your soul. Your power would continue to grow since then, and when you were trapped in the void, your own conviction to escape and rescue your friends and family…" He briefly looked toward Lucy before continuing. "Activated Rebellion's latent power to unify. At that moment, the Rebellion fused the demonic power of Genesis Zero with your own power, which allowed your Devil Trigger to grow and evolve."

"Whoa… that's so cool…" Happy looked to Dante and the Rebellion awe, as did everyone else.

"Both the Rebellion and Yamato are now entuned to you and your brother, respectively." Sparda continued. "For they are Devil Arms as well. When I passed on, and you inherited those swords, they became bound to you. Though they are not as strong now as when I wielded them, their powers will continue to grow and evolve along with both you as you too will grow, perhaps even develop abilities that I never had. The Rebellion is yours now, son. Wield it well, just as you always have." He said with a proud smile.

Dante smiled as he looked at the Rebellion. For most of his life, he always thought of it as his dad's sword, and he was only using it to survive. But ever since he first awakened his Devil Trigger and when he joined Fairy Tail, the Rebellion began to feel more like it was his own sword. He wielded it with more ease, like it was natural, like it was a part of him. Now he knows that it is truly the case. The Rebellion is no longer Sparda's blade, but his own. It was his sword, his Devil Arm and he was free to use it however he wished. And he would use it to protect those he cared for.

"Thanks Dad. I'll do my best." Dante said as he put Rebellion away.

Many around them all smiled at the moment shared by father and son, especially Lucy. However, there was also something she needed to ask him as well.

"Oh, Uncle Sparda, there's something I wanted to ask to." Lucy said, getting his attention. "When we fought Grimoire Heart, they said that Mundus was the One Magic. But, while we were training, Capricorn said that Mundus wasn't even the original ruler of the Underworld, much less the source of all magic and demonic power." Everyone, even Sparda became serious as Lucy said all that. Even Natsu's ears perked up as he caught the sound of everyone speaking and decided to walk over and join them; leaving Bruni, Gildarts, and Cana to continue drinking and laughing. "I also remember Mom talking about magic being alive when I was a child… and I think she was saying that magic is basically Life, in that it changes and grows, like everyone who uses it."

A reminiscent smile formed on Sparda's face as he addressed his niece. "Yes, your mother always had such a positive and lively outlook, and she wasn't all that far from the truth."

That caught Lucy's attention as everyone began to listen.

"Capricorn was right, Mundus was never the source of all magic, that was just another one of his deceptions." Sparda continued. "You could consider life to be the source of magic, but it's not quite that simple, in the fact that life and magic both originated together and exist in symbiosis."

"Symbi… what…?" Natsu asked as a question mark appeared over his head, not understanding what he meant.

"It means they're a part of each other." Erza explained. "They exist together."

"Precisely. If you are to best understand this, I feel it is to best to start from the beginning, quite literally." Sparda began to tell the story. "Before time or space, there was nothing. Just an empty void. But then… life would soon emerge as a single force. A force that was pure and impure at the same time, a force that would represent light and dark, being both and neither simultaneously. It's existence almost contradicted itself, just in the same way when you look at the life of an individual, you'd find it to be full of contradictions. This force from which all life would originate from… would be known as Chaos."

"Chaos, huh?" Dante noted as they continued to listen.

"This force of Chaos would soon split itself; two sides, one being akin to light, and the other darkness." Sparda continued. "It is from there, that our worlds would soon come to be: Earthland and the Underworld, both two sides of the same coin, akin to day and night. From the creation of those worlds, the first two would then emerge."

"The first two?" Gray asked.

"The first two beings to ever exist." Sparda explained. "You could call them the original Gods. Residing in Earthland would be the prime deity, Anu. From his essence, other gods would emerge, his 'children' so-to-speak. Many gods of different functions and abilities were created: Chronos, the god of time; Ankhseram, the god of death; Aether, the god of space; and Gaia, the goddess of life. These five were considered the primordial, the most powerful of the deities, and from them, many smaller, lesser powerful gods and goddesses would emerge. They would soon sew the seeds of life into Earthland from which other forms of life would soon grow and evolve; the animals, several of the mammals and primates that evolved from there evolved into people; even the dragons would be given life." That caught Natsu's attention as everyone listened with intent. "Many of these beings who gained sentience, would soon develop the natural ability to use magic. One could say that it was Anu who granted it, or one of the other gods; or perhaps it was ability they developed overtime over the course of their evolution. Regardless, magic came to be; and just as the wielders who developed this ability would grow and change, so to would magic itself. The gods would observe the life that was spawned in Earthland, but they would not interfere. Anu believed that as these beings lived, and even gained sentience and wills of their own, they should live their lives without being overshadowed. Many eons later, the world we know today would come to be. Magic is in fact life itself, just as life can be considered magic. They exist together and forever shall."

"Whoa…" Happy looked in awe.

They were all struck with awe. Natsu, Dante, Erza, Lady, Gray, Trish, Lucy, Lisanna, Juvia, and even Makarov. Mavis looked at Sparda with a smile, the expression on her face indicated she was told exactly the same thing by him at one point in her life.

"Did you get all that, Natsu?" Dante teased. "Maybe the old man has a slower and simpler version for you to understand."

"Nah, I think I got it." Natsu summed it up himself. "This Anu-god guy created a bunch of other gods, and they created our world. Dragons and people popped up and learned how to use magic and we got our a world a million years later."

"Yes… that is basically it. Well done, Natsu." Sparda granted, sounding surprised himself.

Everyone at the table suddenly fell backwards in shock, while Mavis simply giggled.

"He actually got all of it…" Gray muttered.

"How'd that idiot managed to follow all that…?" Lady also muttered.

"Don't tell me… Is Natsu actually smart…?!" Happy's eyes were white circles. "Everything I know is a lie!"

Sparda too chuckled at all their reactions as the group began to pull themselves up. "But wait a sec." Trish spoke up. "There were two of those original gods; and that Anu-guy was responsible for Earthland. But what about the other guy? I'm guessing he was the god of the Underworld?"

"You would guess correctly. The second of the first two, was Tathamet." Sparda explained, getting all their attention again. "Just as Anu helped to seed life in Earthland, Tathamet did the same for the Underworld. From him, the demon race was born. Unlike Anu, Tathamet didn't create any other gods; he simply spawned the race of demons. Though demonic kind would be the only species to exist in the Underworld, many variants and other forms of demons would evolve too, but they were all still demons in the end. Anu and Tathamet are the same and yet opposite of one another. The alpha and omega. Just as Anu created many, Tathamet only created one. Anu was Omni, while Tathamet was Uni."

"Omni? Uni?" Natsu asked.

"Omni means 'all' while Uni means 'one.'" Lisanna explained to Natsu.

"And as living beings on Earthland would learn how to develop magic, demons in the underworld would develop their own kind of power: demonic power." The Dark Knight continued. "Just as magic, it too would grow and evolve as the demonic race branched out and variant, giving birth all sorts of demonic powers."

"Just as their origins, it seems that magic and demonic power are different and yet the same." Makarov noted, remembering Hades' constant rambling on how magic and demonic power were indeed the same. Even though he was deceived by Mundus into believing he was the One Magic, it seems that Precht wasn't wrong about magic and demonic power sharing the same origin.

"To put it simply; magic is the term that refers to the power that is utilized by beings born in Earthland." Sparda said. "Humans, dragons, and many others. While demonic power… I'm pretty sure that's self-explanatory."

"Wow…" Lucy had to sit back for a second. "That's… that's a lot to take in."

"No kidding…" Happy felt the same way. But then something came to mind. "What about Edolas? How'd that world come to be? Did Anu and his god buddies create it too?"

"To be honest… I'm not so sure." Sparda replied. "I didn't even know a world like Edolas existed until I met Porlyusica many years ago. But since humans exist there, and apparently your kind known as Exceeds can use magic; I would assume that Anu or one of the other gods did help to create it. But I'm not one hundred percent sure."

"So where are these gods now?" Juvia asked.

"They dwell in their own personal realm, one that exists in its own space above our own. One could say it is equivalent to Heaven of sorts." Sparda explained it as best as he could. "Many of these deities would watch over us but not interfere, as per Anu's rule to allow mortal beings to govern themselves. Honestly, the only god who has any sort of interaction with humanity is the Celestial Spirit King." Lucy gasped at that revelation. "Mostly because Celestial Wizards use his magic."

"The Celestial Spirit King…" Lucy was shocked to say the least. "You're saying that guy is an actual god?!"

"Yes, arguably the only one who interacts with humanity the most." Sparda confirmed.

"You're saying Lucy wields the powers of a god?!" Happy exclaimed before he bowed to the shocked blonde. "Oh great and powerful Lucy! I deface myself before you! Please forgive all my past transgressions!"

A teasing grin fell on Lucy's face as she stood up straight and proud. "Well insect, I may just decide to forgive… if you promise to pledge your undying allegiance to me now and forever!"

"Oh yes! I will deface myself before you if it is your command!" Happy remained bowed.

"Someone's gotten a big head." Natsu grinned.

"Ah let her enjoy it." Dante brushed off.

"I think it's actually kinda cute." Lisanna commented as everyone else shared a laugh.

"You don't actually mean all that, do you?" Trish leaned in close to Happy.

"No, I'm just messing with her." The blue Exceed replied.

Sparda smiled at their interactions, though it quickly faded as there was more for him to tell. "Yes, these gods would not interfere in the affairs of mortals. That is… until one chose to defy this rule. The name of this god was Pluto."

That got their attention. "Let me guess, this guy thought that gods were better than everyone else and wanted humanity to fear and worship them, right?" Lady assumed dryly.

"Not just humanity, but all mortal lifeforms, including demons." Sparda replied. "Naturally, Anu and the others opposed this. They forbade Pluto from interfering with the mortal realm. Despite that, Pluto ignored their warnings. He went to the mortal realm in an attempt to see what mortals were capable of. All he saw was war and conflict; mortal beings doing battle with one another for even the smallest of reasons. Though there was many positive aspects of mortals, such as their heroic actions or attempts to make peace with one another, Pluto was ignorant to it, or simply let it pass over his head as he only saw that mortals were 'misusing the gift of free will that gods had granted them'. So, with a display of his power, Pluto brainwashed an ancient kingdom and made them into his servants, used their power to wipe out neighboring kingdoms and a built an empire that would serve and worship his every whim. He claimed he was doing it to help humanity and other mortals gain divine wisdom and worship the gods; but in reality he was merely using them to appease his own narcissism and self-delusions."

"Wow, what an asshole." Natsu commented.

"Yes, even the gods are imperfect." Sparda confirmed. "And Pluto wasn't the only one, there are indeed many gods that are quite arrogant and self-entitled, though Pluto was arguably the worst of the bunch."

"I'm assuming they didn't take Pluto's transgressions lightly." Erza noted.

"No." Sparda shook his head. "They removed Pluto's spell and freed the people of his empire. It quickly collapsed after that. For his transgressions, Anu stripped Pluto of his divine power and sentenced him to imprisonment in the Underworld. However,… that may have been a mistake."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

"Once he was stripped of his power, Pluto grew to hate the gods." Sparda continued. "He viewed them as weak-willed despite their enormous power and that he was doing what he felt all gods should do. He made a vow to surpass all the gods and become the ultimate supreme being of existence, and even took a new name. Pluto was no more… now and forever… he is known as simply… Mundus."

Everything came to a grinding halt at that. The whole group was rendered speechless as they looked toward Sparda with their own expressions of shock and surprise.

"Y-you're joking… right…?" Lady stuttered.

"I wish I wasn't." Sparda shook his head.

"Mundus… the freaking Demon Emperor… is a god?!" Dante exclaimed, standing up from his seat.

"Not anymore. All his power was stripped when he was exiled." His father replied.

"So how in the hell did he get to become the Demon Emperor? I thought Tathamet was the one in charge!" Gray stated.

"Though he was stripped of his power, Mundus still carried his immense knowledge." Sparda explained. "It took many lifetimes, and the cooperation and manipulation of other demons to assist him, but Mundus was able to create something. Something… horrible, one that could grant him enormous power. Power enough to take the throne of the Underworld for himself."

Trish's eyes widened in realization as she figured out what the Dark Knight was implying. "The Qliphoth."

"Precisely."

"The Qliphoth?" Makarov asked. "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that."

"It is known as the demon tree." Trish explained. "A powerful and massive tree that is grown in the Underworld. It is said to feed off blood for nourishment and allow it to grow before barring a fruit. Once this fruit is consumed, it is said that the person consumes it is granted with near unlimited power."

"Mundus had created the Qliphoth seed, but in order for it to grow to bear a sufficient fruit, he would need an appropriate amount of blood." Sparda explained. "He planted the seed directly into Tathamet himself."

If they weren't' shocked before, they were now. "He planted a seed… inside the God of the Underworld?" Juvia asked.

"How come he didn't notice?" Happy asked.

"Mundus was incredibly weak at the time, so much so that Tathamet deemed him an insect beneath his notice." Sparda replied. "Mundus, the vile and manipulative devil that he is, used that to his advantage. Tathamet never even noticed that a parasitic plant had been placed inside him… until it almost consumed him completely. The Qliphoth grew from Tathamet himself and almost destroyed him before it bore its fruit. Mundus consumed the fruit and had gained the power he desired. Power that would one day be feared as he used it to conquer the Underworld and proclaim himself as its emperor. He then destroyed what was left of Tathamet and prepared to wage open war on Earthland, eager to claim his revenge on the mortals that dwelled the gods that he believed to have wronged him."

"But you and Igneel stopped him." Natsu said. "You locked him up, right?"

"We did." Sparda confirmed. "Though Mundus would be sealed away, it did not mean he was no longer a threat, as all of you are aware by now."

"What about Zeref then?" Lisanna asked. "Grimoire Heart said Zeref was Mundus' chosen one. His herald."

"We know now that Mundus was not the source of magic and demonic power as they believed, or even the original ruler of the Underworld." Erza said. "Is it correct to assume this was a deception as well."

"Most assuredly." Sparda replied in a more aggressive tone, something the others noticed. But it wasn't just Sparda, even Mavis looked away with an expression of anger and remorse.

"Let's start with the fact that everything you know about Zeref is a lie." She revealed, finally speaking up and surprising everyone around her.

"First Master…" Makarov uttered.

"Zeref was never evil." She continued. "Everything you've heard about him being the most dangerous and deadly wizard every known. It's all false. He was… is… a good man. He's… he's just…" She found herself unable to continue. Sparda then placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, looking at her with silent assurance

"You met him too?" Dante asked the spirit of the first master, who only gave a single nod in response but said nothing else.

"In order for you to understand, let us start, once again, from the beginning." Sparda then began to tell the next story. "Over four hundred years ago, when he was a child, Zeref's parents and his younger brother were killed when a dragon attacked his village." That especially took Natsu by surprise. "His parent's bodies were destroyed, but his brother's body remained. Even at such a young age, Zeref was extraordinarily gifted with magic and intelligence to boot. He preserved his brother's body, hoping there would be some form of magic to bring his brother back to life. For that purpose, he attended the Mildian Magic Academy, where I worked as an instructor. I was amazed at how someone so young was so talented and full of potential. But when I discovered his intent to resurrect his brother, I tried to dissuade him. No natural magic could bring the dead back to life."

"No natural magic." Erza noted. "From what you are implying, it would seem that there was an unnatural method for him to seek his goals."

"Yes." Sparda replied. "But he didn't learn that on his own. While grieving, in his moment of weakness… Zeref was approached by someone. Someone who could grant him is wish to revive his brother, and provide him with the knowledge in order to do so."

"Let me guess. Mundus?" Dante assumed.

Sparda merely nodded, all but confirming it. "That accursed beast." Sparda clenched his fist in anger. "He took advantage of a tortured soul, possibly just for his own amusement. He told Zeref of ancient demonic powers perhaps even teachings of the gods. With this knowledge, Zeref had created tools and methods from which he could hope to revive his brother, perhaps even save other people from death. One such project was the R-System."

Erza gasped, instantly flashing back to her childhood of being enslaved in the Tower of Heaven.

"I discovered Zeref's involvement with Mundus and immediately pulled him out of that deal." The Dark Knight continued. "From then on, I worked more closely with Zeref, helping him to understand the joy of life and the necessity of death. We all die eventually, and as sad as that may be, death is what gives life meaning. It teaches us to enjoy and value the time we have on this world, and to value the lives of others as well. And it seemed that Zeref was ready to let go. He said he was ready to accept his brother's death and move on, make new friends and new relationships. He had already formed a friendship with another student who attended that academy; Anna Heartfilia, your ancestor, Lucy." That revelation caught Lucy by surprise.

"I'm guessing Mundus didn't take that well." Lady said.

"No, he did not." Sparda's expression became one of anger. "For backing out of their deal, Mundus cursed Zeref. The young man was granted a power that he could not control; a power that steals life. All those around him, including many of the instructors and students at that academy were killed just for being around him. There were only a handful of survivors, myself and Anna being among them."

Everyone continued to listen as Natsu, Dante, Lisanna, Happy, and Lady recalled their encounter with Zeref on Tenrou Island. They remembered how everything around him, plants and animals, all died and he seemed unable to stop himself from doing it.

"Zeref ran away as far and as fast as he could, and I tried to catch up and help him. Following his trail was sadly not all that difficult Wherever he went … death followed." Sparda went on. "Animals, plants, people… all laid dead, without so much as an injury. I was strong enough to resist his curse. But when I finally caught up to him… it was then I discovered the true horror of what Mundus did to him. I found Zeref… with a dagger in one hand… and his own heart in the other…"

The expressions of horror on all their faces could not be described with mere words. Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Lisanna, Happy, and Juvia were obviously mortified; but even veteran and traumatized, yet strong-willed, individuals like Dante, Trish, Lady, and Erza, even Makarov, went pale as they just imagined it. Mavis herself looked incredibly sick, and grief-stricken.

"He had cut out his own heart in attempted suicide." Sparda continued, his face struck with grief as if he had only seen that moment just yesterday. "Less than a few seconds later, his old heart disintegrated and a new one grew in its place. His injuries all healed, and there wasn't even a scar. The Curse of Contradictory, that was the name of the horror that Mundus had inflicted upon him. Zeref himself was unable to die, he couldn't even starve to death or even age, stricken with immortality; and yet everything and everyone around him would die. I tried to help him better understand the value of life… and he was so willing to accept. He was so close… so close to finding inner peace!" Sparda's fists clenched with rage. "But that monster took it all away! Damn that Mundus!"

"I… I can't…" Juvia stuttered.

"That's… who… what….?" Lucy also stuttered as her own eyes watered.

"That's cruel…." Lisanna was brought to tears as well as she placed her own hand over her mouth. "That's just too cruel….!"

"What kind of monster… would do something so horrible…?" Happy was already sobbing.

"That three-eyed piece of garbage!" Natsu had smashed the table with his fist. "Nobody deserves to go through something like that!"

"Damn straight." Gray agreed darkly.

Dante looked away, saying nothing. But deep in his eyes, one could see a burning fire of pure hate. He already despised Mundus to the core for everything he did to his family; but when it seemed like Dante's own hatred of Mundus couldn't get any worse, the self-proclaimed Demon Emperor would prove him wrong yet again. Trish and Lady were both just as unsurprised as Dante, but they each felt the same way he did.

Erza still recalled the Tower of Heaven and how it was supposed to resurrect Zeref. All the pain she went through, all the pain her friends went through at that wretched tower… Simon, Wally, Milliana, Sho, even Jellal, and even those in the Oracion Seis, all their suffering, all their pain… At first, she put it all on Zeref. But now, only now did she realize that Zeref himself was a victim and the true villain responsible was none other than Mundus.

Makarov, who appeared the most composed, but still internally full of anger and sympathy, looked again to the spirit of the Dark Knight.

"I'm assuming that's how the myths came to be." The former guildmaster of Fairy Tail said. "Zeref literally, albeit unwittingly, brought death wherever he went. Rumors spread like wildfire and before you knew it, Zeref was regarded as a monster and harbinger of death."

"Yes…" Sparda still recalled every attempt he made at dissuading those rumors and trying to reveal the truth, but most of his pleas fell on deaf ears. Zeref was a good man, but now he would forever be regarded as a monster. Oh how he wished he could have changed that.

"But… what of the Book of Zeref?" Erza asked. "I was told that it was an account of demons that he created. Were these demons really the creations of Mundus?"

"No." Sparda shook his head. "Zeref did indeed create those creatures, but… it wasn't just him. You see, I helped to create those demons."

As if they hadn't enough bombshells already, but that one hit like no other.

"What?!" Dante stood up from his chair as everyone looked at Sparda as if he had just committed a murder. "Why the hell would you do something like that?!"

"The demons from the Book of Zeref, also known as Etherious, were made for one purpose: to kill Zeref." Sparda began, getting their undivided attention with that statement. "Seeing how I was resistant to Mundus' curse, Zeref hoped I'd have the power to end his suffering and he begged me, with tears in his eyes, to end him. But I couldn't. I made a vow to myself, after sacrificing the two priestesses to seal Temen-ni-gru…" That earned a facial twitch from Lisanna and Lady as those were their ancestors that he spoke of. "…I would never stain my sword with the blood of an innocent ever again. And that's exactly what Zeref was, an innocent, a victim of Mundus' cruelty. I could not kill an innocent man, much less my friend. And I promised that I would seek a cure of him. However, Zeref brought up a point that even I could not ignore. He was immortal, cursed with eternal youth. Searching for a cure to his curse could take a very long while… longer than humans could live even. Zeref feared that him living for so long, if a cure could not be found, would have him fall into madness. He feared becoming the monster that most of the world saw him as. In order to avoid that, we decided to create a safety net of sorts. I couldn't kill him, but perhaps someone with my power could. Using the Living Magic that he ironically learned from Mundus, as well as my own power, we created the Etherious, a race of artificial demons bred with the sole desire to kill Zeref should he become corrupted. Once the Etherious were created, I sealed them away with Body Link magic so I only could set them loose in the absolute worst-case scenario. And they remained sealed for my centuries as I would continue to search for a cure for Zeref's curse, while he tried to isolate himself from the rest of humanity and not take any more lives."

"But…. You died." Dante pointed out.

"Yes." Sparda confirmed as he turned away from the group and looked out the window. "And with my passing, the Body Link spell was broken and the Etherious were set loose onto the world. Several of these Etherious were programed with their own intelligence and sentience, thinking and feeling on their own, while others were more akin to wild beasts. One of which was Deliora." That got Gray's attention, as was Sparda's intent. "Once freed, Deliora and others like him followed their programing that Zeref and I placed in them, to find and kill their target, Zeref himself. Everything in their way was merely an obstacle, that they would remove." He then turned to face Gray directly. "Gray…. I beseech you, do not blame Zeref for that. None of it is his fault. I helped to create Deliora, he and the other Etherious are my responsibility, one I failed to uphold. All the damage Deliora inflicted, including the passing of your parents and your teacher, it's on me." He bowed his head. "I won't ask for your forgiveness, but I am truly sorry."

"Uncle Sparda…" Lucy could never imagine that the Dark Knight that was her uncle feeling so ashamed and humble in such a way. She, Dante, Mavis, and Lisanna looked to him in sympathy, while the others looked to Gray with concerning expressions, wondering how he would react.

With a deep sigh, Gray spoke. "It wasn't your fault." That caused Sparda to look up in surprise. "You did everything you could to keep those monsters locked up. It's not your fault you bit the big one. Some things are just outside our control." He looked away slightly. "Ur wouldn't want me to blame you, and I don't. I… have mixed feelings when it comes to Zeref, but given what you told us about him…. I don't think I'll blame him either. If anyone's really to blame here, it's Mundus, so I'll hate him instead." He then looked to Sparda with a smile. "So don't go beating yourself up about it. I've tried to put Deliora behind him, so maybe you should to."

Though surprised at how forgiving Gray was toward him, a smile formed on Sparda's face. "Thank you, Gray."

Juvia looked towards Gray with a proud smile. 'That was so noble and mature of you, Gray. You really do have a kind heart. It's no wonder I fell in love with you.'

Even the rest of the group looked proud and happy with how mature Gray handled that. "Yeah, Gray's right for once." Natsu said to Sparda next. "Don't go blaming yourself for what Mundus did, that makes no sense at all."

"What do you mean 'for once'?" Gray questioned in a joking fashion.

"Aye! You're the good guy and Mundus is the bad guy." Happy agreed.

"You may have made plenty of mistakes, old man." Dante smiled next. "But you've done a lot of good things to. Try looking at the bright side for once, and not all the gloom and doom. Trust me, it's not healthy."

"You realize, I'm a ghost, don't you?" Sparda questioned humorously. "I don't have to worry about 'being healthy'. But I see what you mean. Thank you. All of you." He said with a humorous smile.

"And don't forget me!" Mavis hoped up and wrapped her arms around Sparda from behind with a wide smile. "I'm one of those good things! Right, Daddy?"

"Yes, what Master Mavis said." Makarov said with a smile as he raised his mug for a toast. It took two seconds for him to process what Mavis said, blinking a few times, before it hit.

"D-D-D-D-D-DADDY!?"

"WHAAAAAATTT?!" Dante, Natsu, Lady, Gray, Lucy, Trish, Erza, Lisanna, Happy, and Juvia all exclaimed as they fell back in utter surprise, white circles for eyes.

Mavis was already laughing. "Those reactions of theirs! I just knew it be hilarious!" She laughed as even Sparda chuckled.

"Mavis is my adoptive daughter." Sparda explained as the group pulled themselves up. "I found her as a child, as well another young girl named Zera, both caught in the middle of a war between two Guilds, Red Lizard and Blue Skull, and I took them both in, raising them as my own."

"Y-You raised…. Master Mavis… and even founding member…. Zera….?" Makarov stuttered, still not over his initial shock.

"I did." Sparda confirmed as he ruffled Mavis' hair. "And I'm very proud of both of them."

"Thanks, Daddy." Mavis smiled as she stood on the table that Dante used to pull himself up on. "You know what that means, Dante? You got a big sister! And I'm your big cousin, Lucy! You too, Trish!" She said to the blondes with a wide and child-like smile.

"I have a sister…" Dante muttered. "Who'da thunk it."

"This is getting a bit much for me…" Lucy commented.

"Hold on… you mean after basically learning the origins of our whole world, of all magic, the existence of gods, Mundus' story, and Zeref's own horrible backstory… this is too much for you?!" Lady questioned.

"I guess so…" Lucy replied, sounding mortified herself. "What's happened to my thought process?"

"I guess tonight's full of surprises, huh?" Natsu commented.

"Hey! What are you guys doing over here?!" Bruni suddenly arrived, throwing an arm around Natsu as he held a drink in the other hand. "It's party time! So let's drink up and get all positive, so you're rocking it at the Games tomorrow! Who's with me?!"

"Yeah, I'm with ya, Igneel." Natsu grinned. "Enough of all the serious stuff, let's party it up!"

"Natsu's right." Lisanna smiled. "We've learned a lot, and we'll probably have to deal with a lot of that later. But for right now, everyone's here and enjoying themselves. So let's make the most of what we got right now and have fun! That's what makes Fairy Tail, Fairy Tail. Right?"

Everyone around them smiled their own way in agreement. "Right." Erza nodded. "Let's enjoy the time we have now. After all, that's what makes life worth living." She paid one last glance to Sparda before everyone went off to join the rest of their celebrating guildmates.

As everyone at the Bar Sun continued to drink and make merry with one another, Lucy remained behind with Sparda and Mavis.

"Hey, you know all that stuff Natsu, Gray, and Dante all said about all the good stuff you've done with your life?" Lucy spoke to the spirit of her uncle. "This is one of them. You created Fairy Tail, and I can't even begin to tell you all the good that resulted from that. All the lives that were saved, the friends and families that were made…" She smiled at her uncle. "Thanks, Uncle Sparda."

He smiled at his niece. "You're welcome." He told her as she went off to join her friends, leaving Sparda and Mavis alone. She wrapped her arms around his own arm and looked up to him with a loving smile, and he gazed down at her with one of his own.

---

Mercurius

Vergil walked through the hallways of the royal palace, having been summoned by the royal soldiers. He was soon escorted toward the throne room where he crossed paths with a certain armored-clad individual.

"Arcadios." Vergil acknowledged to the armored man who returned the sentiment.

"Vergil."

The pair entered the throne room, walked up the first flight of steps and came to a stop just before another flight of steps that led directly to the throne. Sitting in said throne was none other than the current king of the country, Toma E. Fiore. He was a rather short man with long white hair, yet he still carried the air and wisdom of a wise and noble leader.

Both Vergil and Arcadios immediately kneeled to him.

"Your majesty." They both said.

"Ah, Vergil, Arcadios, thank you both for your summons." Toma said.

"Of course, your highness." Arcadios replied. "I am pleased to report that the first day of the Grand Magic Games ended without incident."

"The battles were quite interesting. I was especially surprised at how one of Fairy Tail's newest members was able to hold his own against a Wizard Saint." Toma noted with an intrigued look on his face.

Vergil said nothing, but his thoughts were still on Nero and his fight against Jura. There was little doubt that young man wielded Sparda's power. How he obtained it was still a mystery. Perhaps he may look into it later, but he had other matters to attend to first.

"If your majesty has any requests concerning tomorrow's battle portion, I will happily arrange it." Arcadios offered.

"Hmm." Toma thought for a moment. "Vergil, your twin brother Dante is participating on Fairy Tail Team A. Perhaps you'd be interested in a battle with him?"

"While I certainly would be interested, might I make a different suggestion?" Vergil replied.

"Oh? What do you have in mind?" Toma asked.

"Hisui has told me of two-on-two battles that will take place on Day Four before the battle royale on the final event." Vergil explained. "My brother has something of a flare for the theatrics, perhaps the final battle on the day could be between the two of us. And on that note, perhaps that particular battle could be three-on-three instead."

"Three-on-three, you say?" Toma looked particularly excited at that suggestion.

"Yes; myself and the Twin Dragons, Sting and Rogue; against Dante, Natsu Dragneel and Gray Fullbuster, possibly Lucy Heartfilia as well, all from Fairy Tail Team A." Vergil suggested.

The mention of Lucy got Arcadios' attention, but he said nothing.

"Well, that certainly sounds exciting." Toma looked more than a little interested. "But, doesn't Fairy Tail have two other Dragon Slayers besides the Salamander in their ranks?"

"Four total actually, your majesty." Arcadios revealed. "Laxus Dreyar is a Second Generation Dragon Slayer. The other two; Gajeel Redfox and Wendy Marvell are First Generation."

"Why not use one of them alongside young Dragneel?" Toma asked. "Two Sons of Sparda and four Dragon Slayers in a three-on-three battle will certainly be quite the spectacle."

"Both Gajeel and Laxus are currently on Fairy Tail Team B while Natsu is on Team A." Vergil explained. "Young Wendy doesn't appear to be participating. So unless either of them choses to join the team, I'm uncertain it can be arranged without violating your own rules. But, forgive me if I sound out of turn, it would be wise not to underestimate either Gray Fullbuster or Lucy Heartfilia, you saw her battle against Flare Corona from Raven Tail today, did you not? They may not be Dragon Slayers, but they are certainly strong in their own right."

The King of Fiore thought about it once more before replying. "All excellent points, Vergil. But anything can happen in the next few days, if we have either of Fairy Tail's Dragon Slayers join Team A, we can arrange for them and Dante to battle you and your guild's Twin Dragons. But if in the event that it cannot happen, then perhaps Gray Fullbuster would be an effective substitute. Arcadios, see to that it is done."

"Understood, your majesty." Arcadios accepted. "Are there any other requests?"

"Hmmm, there may be another." Toma responded. "I would like to see Bacchus for sure. Make certain to include him in the match-up."

"Any preference on his opponent?" Arcadios asked.

"How about that Fairy Tail member… the one who can transform." Toma answered but struggled to give a specific name. "What was the name again? El… E…"

"But of course, your majesty. I promise a magic battle you won't forget." Arcadios replied.

'Hmm, that drunken fool against Erza? That should certainly be interesting.' Vergil thought.

"Now then, onto a more pressing matter. Vergil, the reason for your summons." The King of Fiore got the eldest Son of Sparda's attention. "The Magic Council's forces appear to be closer to this year's games than any other. I want your honest opinion; do you suspect they will try anything?"

"Unlikely." Vergil denied. "With so many wizards and civilians in the city this time, they cannot pull any tricks without catching somebody's attention. They're aggressive, but not stupid. I suspect the increase in their presence this year is due to Fairy Tail participating. There is a great deal of tension between both sides and the Magic Council is more than eager to have them disbanded, if not completely wiped out."

"I see." Toma said with a serious expression. "Continue to monitor them. My responsibility is to the people of this kingdom, and despite their power I will not allow the Magic Council to endanger any innocent lives. Their increasingly aggressive attitude this past seven years is borderline unacceptable."

"If that is your wish, your majesty." Vergil bowed his head.

"You are both dismissed, get some rest." Toma told the pair, prompting the two to stand before they began walking away. Once they reached the bottom of the throne room, they began to split and make their separate ways, walking in opposite directions. However, Vergil paid one final suspicious glance towards Arcadios as he entered the darkened hallways in front of him.

'I can't afford the Magic Council to discover the Eclipse Project.' Arcadios thought to himself as he walked in the shadows alone. 'If they were to discover such a power, they would undoubtedly use it for their own selfish gain. It's so close to being finished and we can't afford any missteps. Fortunately, they're focused on Fairy Tail, so it gives us a bit of leeway. But still, one can't afford to be too careful.'

---

Bar Sun

A loud crash was heard as Max fell on the floor, completely out of it as both his eyes were white circles.

"And he's out!" Bruni taped the floor like a referee in a boxing match.

"Who else wants some?!" Natsu called out challengingly as he held his fist high in the air, standing on the table. "Don't chicken out now, I was starting to enjoy myself!"

"Another K.O.!" Macao cheered.

"What happened Max, you lose your footing?" Wakaba teased.

"A seven-year training gap and this guy catches up in three months?!" Warren exclaimed, sweating profusely.

"Have you ever felt completely outclassed?!" Vijeeter asked in a similar tone.

"Not bad, kid." Gajeel granted before turning to Nero. "You wanna knock him off his high-horse?"

"Nah, I'm good." Nero waved off, sitting next to Kyrie. "He and I were to go at it, we'd probably total the whole place."

"Yeah, that would not bode well for us financially." Kyrie said with a wincing smile.

"Then maybe I should give it a turn since you're getting cold feet." Gajeel suggested.

"Did you hear a single word of what they said?" Laxus told the Iron Dragon Slayer. "You two chumps go at it, we'll be footing the repair bill."

"What's the deal, thunder-dolt." Gajeel teased as he mockingly patted Laxus' head. "Trying to impress granddad with your good-guy routine?"

"Are you trying to get fried?!" Levy tried to pull him away.

"Hey! Stop it Gajeel!" Freed stood up, despite being partially drunk. "I won't allow you to mistreat him like this! Mess with Laxus, and you're messing with the Thunder Legion as well! Assemble, Laxus Body Guard Corps! Our leader needs us!" He turned to his teammates, only to find both Evergreen and Bigslow were completely wasted, lying on the floor in front of the table where Cana was currently drinking her fourth bottle of liquor.

"Someone can't hold their liquor…" The drunk Cana commented with a grin and a hiccup before looking toward a certain red-clad Devil Hunter. "Yo Dante, care for a match? You might have beaten me once, but that was a long time ago, and I'd like to think I'm a lot stronger now than I was back then."

"We talking physical power or drinking, cause I think I still got you out-classed in both." Dante grinned at her.

"Care to put your booze where your mouth is?" Cana challenged.

"Challenge accepted." Dante sat down next to her, but before either of them could begin, somebody else walked over.

"Now this looks like a party worth joining."

"Oh yeah?" Cana asked.

"Hey, aren't you from that dog-guild or something?" Dante asked as well.

He put a glass of liquor down on the table rather hard in his own challenging way. "The name's Bacchus Groh, and I'd be happy to share a couple drinks to pass the time."

"Brief introduction and straight to the fun part, huh? I like it." Cana grinned.

"If you wanna get hammer trying to keep up with me, then let's go for it!" Dante accepted Bacchus' challenge as well.

"Hey buddy, take some advice and walk away." Macao tried to warn Bacchus.

"Dante could probably drink out this whole bar, and Cana's alcohol tolerance is about as strong as her daddy!" Wakaba added.

"Thank you." Gildarts grinned. "Now go get em Cana!"

"Thanks, Dad!" Cana waved before facing Bacchus. "Let's go!"

---

Fifty or so drinks later; Cana laid flat on the ground, completely wasted herself, her eyes being total swirls. Dante and Bacchus were still going at it themselves, both having put down a couple bottles.

"So… wanna keep going… cause I still got plenty of steam…!" A drunk Dante said to his equally drunken opponent.

"Me too buddy…! But it's getting late." Bacchus said with a hiccup. "Old man Goldmine gonna blow a head gasket if I get too wasted before tomorrow." He tried to stand up, albeit somewhat wabbly. "Don't get why he make such a fuss over it. The more wasted the better our chances are…!" He said with a laugh.

Despite getting up and essentially forfeiting the contest, many guildmates were more than a little shocked at what they saw.

"I don't believe it!" Jet exclaimed with wide eyes.

"He was able to keep up with Dante and drink Cana under the table!?" Laki also exclaimed.

"Dante was the only guy she drank till she dropped too!" Warren added. "And this guy could still go at it with him!"

"There-there baby girl." Gildarts, a little drunk himself, patted Cana's head as she laid on the ground. "You did your best. Daddy's still proud of you."

Bacchus laughed as he gave a friendly smack to Dante on the back. "You're alright, man! Let's drink again sometime!"

"Sure thing, dude!" Dante waved his bottle back at him.

"Bacchus, I see you're still every bit the drunkard you usually are."

He turned around to see Erza, Trish, and Lady entering the tavern. The trio had returned from a brief visit to where Crime Sorciere was hiding and told them everything they learned from Sparda about Zeref and Mundus. Given that trying to understand the connection between the two was the independent guild's primary purpose, they had a right to know that as well.

"Well, well, if it isn't Erza Scarlet." Bacchus went awfully close to her face. "Still as cute and hot as ever."

"I'd back off if I were you, pal." Lady pushed him away with a glare. "Unless you got a death wish."

"Oh, some pretty little friends you got here, Red." Bacchus hiccupped upon seeing Lady and Trish. "How about the four of us spend some quality time together? As in, in the bed?" He said with a hiccup.

"Yeah…. I don't think so." Trish shook her head as she poked him in the head before sending a bolt of lightning through his body. But he didn't appear the least bit in pain. In fact, he actually laughed it off, much to the surprise of Trish and even Lady.

"Now that was a shock to the system!" Bacchus grinned.

"Did that guy just blow off a zap from Trish?!" Lucy questioned as she and Lisanna also looked in surprise.

"So, you're competing in the Games this year." Erza noted to him.

"Hell yeah. After watching Warcry make a fool out of himself and our guild, it made my manly spirit thirsty for vengeance!" Bacchus boasted before drunkenly walking to the door. "Here's hoping you and I go at it in the battle round, be nice to settle the score. Ya know what we say in our guild… 'We will always be…!'"

"Wild." Erza groaned with lowered eyelids.

"Least you're still good for a chuckle, Erza!" Bacchus laughed again before walking out of the tavern. "I'll tell Wally you said hi!"

"Okay… how do you know that walking distillery?" Lady asked Erza.

"He's part of the Quatro Cerberus guild, one of their S-Class wizards." She explained. "I've run into him on jobs more than a few times over the years, I'd say his physical strength is on par with mine."

"Are you serious right now?!" Trish questioned in surprise.

"What kind of magic does he have?" Lisanna asked.

"His magic is rather simple: Palm Magic. It focuses his magic power into the palm of his hands." Erza answered. "But don't let the simplicity deceive you, he's a master of hand-to-hand combat. Whenever the two of us sparred, there's never been a clear winner."

"Okay… that's a little terrifying." Lucy muttered.

"Ah, that's all ancient history." Natsu brushed off. "Erza's in a completely different league now!"

"Bet I could kick his ass." The drunken Dante commented. "A booze contest is one thing, but fighting's my specialty!"

"Damn right!" Makarov boasted, half-drunk as well as he held a mug in his hands. "Ain't now way Fairy Tail's gonna lose this round! I may be retired, but I'm still the number three Wizard Saint and I say we're gonna take this tournament by storm!"

"Yeah…. About that Maky." Bruni interjected. "You were ranked third seven years ago, remember? A lot's happened since then, and many of us have gotten a great deal stronger. Plus, we gotta take your retirement into consideration."

"Oh? So, I've been demoted, huh?" Makarov laughed. "Eh, I can handle being fourth or fifth ranked now. Sixth, on the other hand, that would be troublesome." He said with another chuckle.

"Fraid you're not getting off that easy." Bruni handed him a slip of paper.

Makarov took the slip and gave it a quick glance before gasping in comic shock, his eyes grown out and his pupils shrunk.

It was the current placement of the Wizard Saints. At the number one spot was still Kurenai, unsurprising. Second was God Serena. Third was Draculos. Ranked fourth was Wolfheim. Fifth place was Warrod. Sixth was Jura. Bruni was number seven. Eighth was Aurora. Ninth was Gandelina. And finally, the tenth and lowest ranked Wizard Saint, was none other than Makarov himself.

"I…. I…. I'm… I'M DEAD LAST!?" He comically exclaimed.

"Sorry old man! But you have not kept up with the times!" Bruni gave a laugh that mixed sympathy with gloating. "Take a word from your superior and take it easy, okay?!" He said as he continued to laugh, while Makarov just burst into tears, his eyes like comical waterfalls.

---

Meanwhile, at the infirmary, while Wendy, Romeo, and Patty continued to sleep; Carla was speaking with Modeus and Porlyusica.

"You had a premonition?" Modeus questioned in shock.

"What exactly did you see?" Porlyusica asked, looking very serious.

"It was incredibly confusing… only coming in at bits and pieces." Carla trying to explain it as best as she could. "There was a white knight… a sword bathed in darkness… an enormous magic circle…"

"Was there anything else?" Modeus asked.

"I saw something that defied all reason…" Carla said gravely.

"What do you mean by that?" Porlyusica questioned.

"I saw Mercurius come crashing down…" Carla recalled. The look in her eyes, it was a silent plea with the hope that she mistook something in her vision. "And as it happened… I thought I heard someone singing… It was Lucy."

Done.

Well, there is certainly a lot to unpack from this chapter. So, let's start from the beginning…

Sapphire from Raven Tail is a Second-Generation Dragon Slayer! Surprised? A lot of you were speculating that she would be a Devil Slayer, but nope. I wanted to put a Dragon Slayer in Ivan's guild since he boasted that his guild was the Anti-Fairy Tail, it would make sense that he'd have his own Dragon Slayer, but that never came to be. So, I decided to put one in myself. Sapphire is the Azure Dragon Slayer, her element is blue fire, basically cold fire (colder than Romeo's blue flames). And trust me, she is definitely someone you want to be wary of.

We also have confirmation that Sid is working with Raven Tail, disguised as Ivan in the stands while the real Ivan is Alexi, participating in the Games.

Oh, and yes, Obra (the tiny little creature that attacked Wendy and the others beforehand) is a demon. We didn't really get to see him again after the GMG arc ended, so I plan on expanding on him quite a bit. Keep in mind that Ivan considers his guild the Anti-Fairy Tail, with Sapphire being a counter to Natsu, you can think of Obra being a counter for Dante. That should give you an idea of how strong he really is.

We also got some backstory surrounding Ivan and why he was kicked out of Fairy Tail in the first place. We never knew his story in the canon, yet more wasted potential, so I decided to make one up instead. I hope you liked it.

Bruni is really the Edolas version of Igneel (like Porlyusica is for Grandeeney), but he doesn't know Igneel's current whereabouts. His weapon is a sword called Prometheus which can generate fire and he can shape it however he wants. He is very proficient with his weapon and a master swordsman. Trust me, there's a reason he's one of the Wizard Saints.

Speaking of which, we have the updated list on the Wizard Saint standings. (You can think of my previous list as the standings before the events of Tenrou Island)…

1) Kurenai

2) God Serena

3) Draculos

4) Wolfheim

5) Warrod

6) Jura

7) Bruni

8) Aurora

9) Gandelina

10) Makarov

Now, onto the real juicy stuff. The heroes now understand the origins of the One Magic, the Underworld and Earthland, and even the Gods. (I borrowed a bit from Diablo's lore as well as that of the Seven Deadly Sins with the introduction of Chaos).

Mundus was once a god name Pluto (that was an alias he used in the canon Devil May Cry timeline). Yes, I know many of you have pointed out that Pluto was the original ruler of the Underworld, but that was only described in the "Peak of Combat" game, which I'm not all that familiar with. I looked all over the wikia, and the only Pluto I found was the alias used by Mundus. So, I used Tathamet as the original ruler of the Underworld before Mundus used the Qliphoth to kill him and take his place.

Mundus previous status as a god before falling to the Underworld is a take on the story of Lucifer from the bible as an angel before rebelling against Heaven and being banished to Hell, only to take it over as it's ruler…

"Better to reign in Hell, than to serve in Heaven" (John Milton's "Paradise Lost")

Mundus was also the one to curse Zeref with the Curse of Contradictory (Ankhseram exists here as the God of Death, but he and the other gods don't interfere with mortal affairs as per Anu's laws). Sparda had told Fairy Tail the whole story, which I felt would properly do Zeref some form of justice as the only ones who knew the truth about him were Mavis and Natsu in the canon, which I felt was incredibly tragic. (And maybe a poor imitation of the writer's trying to imitate what happened with Itachi in Naruto, but that's just my opinion).

And Sparda helped to create the Etherious as a method of absolute last resort if Zeref lost his mind from being alive for so long due to his curse and needed to be put down, with the Etherious being made from Sparda's own power. (There is still more to this story obviously, especially when it comes to the strongest Etherious of them all. You'll learn more about that one in a later arc).

Oh, and Mavis is also Sparda's adoptive daughter. In this continuity, both she and Zera (who survived this time around) were rescued from the guild war between Blue Skull and Red Lizard and were raised as his own and helped to found Fairy Tail. This makes Mavis and Zera the older sisters to Dante, Vergil, and Nero; as well as Lucy's older cousins.

It also seems that Vergil is spying on the Magic Council for the Kingdom of Fiore, as even King Toma notes that they're ambitions, and power-hungry nature is too much.

Slight spoilers, but when we get to Day 4 of the Grand Magic Games; we still got the two-on-two battles with everyone else, but when Fairy Tail and Sabertooth finally face each other head on, it'll be three-on-three… Dante, Natsu, and Gajeel vs. Vergil, Sting, and Rogue. Though Vergil said Gray and Lucy could be effective substitutes considering the current team placements, emphasis on the 'current' part. (Hint, hint) And believe me, I am really looking forward to writing that current match up!

Next time, we'll be starting off Day 2 of the Grand Magic Games and that is gonna be plenty of fun! Got some good stuff planned there.

Until then, stay safe and stay healthy out there. Love you guys.