Elfman slowly wandered to the basement of the guild. Once in the center of the room, he pulled out a strange sphere, staring into it intently. "I must…"

[Flashback]

Just after the destruction of Black Phoenix, Sayla spared Elfman and Lisanna, holding the latter of the Strauss siblings unconscious in her arms. As for Diamond, she left her be as she was knocked out. The one good thing Elfman was able to do was carry her. Sayla directed her gaze towards Elfman, pointed to the sphere in his hand. "You will take that sphere to Fairy Tail and detonate it. It is much stronger than the Jupiter Cannon and will turn that building and everyone inside into nothing but mere dust. Then, and only then, will I release your beloved sister. Do you understand?"

"…." Elfman clenched his hand tightly around the sphere, giving a slow nod. "Yes…I understand. I must…destroy Fairy Tail…."

[End Flashback]

Elfman continued to stare at the sphere, his bulky arm shaking in what could be considered regret. "I must…destroy…Fairy Tail…for Lisanna's sake…"

Right around then, both Lucy and Cana started to walk down the stairs, both of them wearing a worried/skeptical expression as they approached Elfman. "Elfman…is everything okay? Tell us what happened." Cana spoke out first. In a panic Elfman hid the sphere behind his back as the two females approached him. "Where's Lisanna. I don't buy the fact that you two got separated. I know damn well you would've hunted her down like the beast we know you are."

"I…" Elfman glanced off to the side, not daring to stare either of them in the face.

"Elfman…" Lucy frowned, taking a step forward. "You have to tell us what happened. You know you can depend on us. Whatever happened we'll get through it together!"

"Behind him."

"Eh…?" Lucy frowned at herself for that voice in her head speaking to her once again, but with slightly less pain. Now that she had attention brought to it, she did notice a faint purple glow emanating from behind Elfman. "Elfman…? What's that thing behind your back…?"

"Wh…!?" Elfman's eyes widened. How did Lucy even notice!?

Now Cana noticed too. Eyes narrowed as she leaned to the side to sneak a peek at the object hidden behind Elfman's back. "Yeah…what is that thing…? Elfman…what are you…"

Crap. He was about to get found out…he had no choice now. Within the blink of an eye Elfman lunged at both Cana and Lucy, wrapping his large hands around their throats while pushing them to the ground. In the process he dropped the explosive sphere which slowly began to shine brighter. "I can't let you stop me! I have to do this…!"

"Shit…!" Cana choked out, glancing at Lucy who had the same panicked expression. This wasn't good…Elfman was losing it and that sphere was only moments away from exploding?! Was she going to make it in time to bail everyone out!? Who knew…the only thing known to the town of Magnolia was that the day couldn't get any worse, as the famed Fairy Tail guild hall just…exploded violently, leaving nothing but rubble in its wake.

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Back in Tartarus prison, Lisanna was trying to pry off Natsu's handcuffs with her two feet. Unfortunately she was unable to make any progress and the two made absolutely zero progress in an escape plan. "Drat…we've just been going in circles with ideas for who knows how long now…" Lisanna let out a defeated sigh. "Looks like we'll just have to wait for the others. It's also starting to get really hot and stuffy in here…"

"Yeah…but I'm fine. These temperatures don't bother me at all…" Natsu huffed in annoyance. He was trying to formulate another escape plan but getting out of prison seemed unlikely with no magic behind him. It wasn't long before a familiar figure stood before them: Rose. "Cynthia!?"

Rose held in her hand a blanket and some water. With an annoyed scowl, she slipped the blanket between the bars for Lisanna along with the glass of water. "I'm not going to repeat myself…I've repeated that too many times already. I'm just here to provide these…it's kinda sad seeing the lady naked and alone with someone like you."

"The Hell's that supposed to mean!?" Natsu snarled before pressing his face against the bars. "Forget that!? What are you doing on that side? Let us outta here so we can beat some demon ass!"

"…Are you stupid?" Rose quirked a brow curiously, staring at Natsu with an unamused gaze. "Why would I help you!? Someone who left me to die…"

"We didn't leave you to die…!" Lisanna wrapped the covers around her body and looked to Rose with pleading eyes. "We didn't know what happened…! Cynthia, please…! You know we wouldn't…!"

"You only cared AFTER something happened!" Rose shouted. "That's how it's always been…like an afterthought. You're all nothing but a bunch of detestable bastards that treated me like shit!"

Lisanna gasped, unable to believe the words coming from Rose's mouth. "C-Cynthia…don't tell me…you honestly believe what they've put in your head…"

"Why shouldn't I!?" Rose's voice rose, and one could see tears stinging at the corner's of her eyes. "I was all alone...! Scared...my thoughts were turning dark and I was hoping Wendy, or anyone would come save me! But nobody did. When I joined Fairy Tail, I was promised that 'family' would always be there for me! I believed in that promise once, when I was captured by Aiden. But when I needed someone the most...nobody was there...where were you?"

"I..." Natsu had no words for a moment. Where was he, when Cynthia was in danger? With no magic, defeated at the hands of a Wizard Saint. There was nothing he could've done at that point. But if he were stronger...

"We're so sorry, Cynthia." Lisanna said with a heavy frown. "But please, look us in the eyes. Look me in the eyes." Rose said nothing, but did just that. "We are your family...we love you. Wendy loves you. Nobody's been more hurt by what happened to you than her. Alex is wounded and misses you dearly...Jack and Spark came just to make sure Wendy was alright. They miss you. We all miss you. Please, come back home..."

"You're saying that too late." Rose shook her head. Even though there were tears, she glared at them. "Cynthia died when her thoughts went into the abyss. I'm Rose."

Natsu stared at Rose's eyes. He knew something was wrong immediately and didn't flinch from the words Rose spewed from her mouth. Maybe there was a part of Cynthia that did resent them for not being able to save her. "Your eyes aren't Cynthia's." Natsu replied. "She never had eyes full of hatred. Who are you?"

"I'm...Rose." Rose replied scornfully. Was he stupid!?

"Are you really?" Natsu shot back. The nature of the question caught Rose off guard.

"What the hell kinda question…" Rose started, but Tayakata dropped by with a sinister smile on her face.

"Don't use your ignorance as a shield from this poor girl's wounded heart. Now, I hate to interrupt such a riveting conversation, but I have some very interesting news to report to our two capture Fairies." Taya spoke and her grin slowly grew wider.

"The hell do you want?" Natsu sneered at Tayakata as Lisanna hid behind him. What was it with Tartarus and turning people against each other?! Like it was some kind of sick game!

"I just want to inform you that as of a few minutes ago…Fairy Tail no longer exists." Taya delivered the news with such a wide smile. "Before you ask what I mean, allow me to clarify. Thanks to the efforts of one of our own, and one of your own, the guild has been destroyed~"

"Huh?" Rose blinked at that news. "How...?"

"By the hands of your own Elfman, at that." As Taya said that, she felt the metaphorical knife twist into both Lisanna and Natsu.

"Oh no…" Lisanna covered her mouth with her hands, feeling the tears well up in her eyes.

"You bastards! Elfman would never do that!" Natsu attempted to ram through the bars but that attempt backfired horribly on him. He bounced back and grimaced as he laid on the ground. "Agh…!"

"Natsu…!" Lisanna cried out. "Cynthia! Please...!"

"Come along now, dear. You needn't waste any more time with these cretins. Let them mourn in silence at the futility of their situation." Taya patted Rose on the shoulder and the two left Natsu and Lisanna to sink into depression. Still, Rose had a look of uncertainty on her face, but no one would notice a thing. Any tears she had, she quickly died by rubbing them away with her sleeve.

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"Do you really think you stand a chance against ME, kid?" Daityas questioned with a large grin, hellish flames erupting from around his body. The immediate landscape around him incinerated to nothing, leaving just barren ground underneath the King of Hell's feet. "Don't make me lau-" Before Daityas could even finish, Leon sprung off his feet with a fist reared back. The acid dragon slayer slammed his fist into Daityas's defending arm, an explosion of acid and poison taking place strong enough to make Daityas skid backwards several yards. "Oh…?"

"I'm not laughing, Daityas!" Leon screamed as a dark emerald aura exploded from around his body once again! His rage continued to grow and grow and as a result, he became stronger. With a roar, Leon unleashed an unholy combination of acid and poison towards Daityas. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"HAHA!" Daityas was actually enjoying himself! Daityas exhaled, releasing a funnel of hell flames towards Leon's dual elemental roar. The two collided, clashing in a powerful explosion that created a large explosion that shielded either from the other's view. Daityas didn't waste any time and sprinted forward, allowing a 'tail' of hell flames to protrude from his backside. Emerging from the smoke faster than Leon could react; Daityas slammed his tail into Leon's chest and send him flying backwards!

"GAH!" Leon cried out from the fierce flames that scorched his skin. Daityas's might was not to be underestimated and he tumbled across the ground violently before coming to a halt. With a growl, Leon looked up only to see Daityas took to the air with his hands raised over his head, hell flames circling around his fists. Leon was quick enough to leap backwards just as Daityas landed, which caused a dome of hell fire to explode. The pyre was widespread, however Leon just narrowly managed to avoid being in harm's way. Just as he landed, a green sphere formed within his clenched fist. "Acid Dragon's Corroding Missile!" Hurling his arm forward, Leon released this highly explosive sphere towards Daityas.

Daityas held his hand out, catching Leon's sphere within his palm before crushing it within his grip. The explosion still occurred but Daityas just smiled through whatever pain he felt. "Is this the limit of your anger? Considering I just killed everyone in your former guild, it's pretty weak. I guess I shouldn't expect too much from you humans after all." Flicking his wrist up, a tower of hell flames erupted on Leon. Even the acid dragon couldn't contain his scream of pain until the flames died down, leaving Leon falling to his knees after.

"Agh…" Leon's body was severely burned. Still, he wasn't going to let this little bit of pain stop him, not when he had to avenge those in Black Phoenix. His nakama were counting on him to avenge him! "You call this pain!? This doesn't even come close to what I'm going to do to you!" Leon shouted before slowly standing up once again. The ground began to tremble from the magical aura he was giving off and a large green magic seal formed underneath Daityas, already set in place from the acid dripping on the ground. "Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Emerald Corrosion: Rising Tower of Wrath!"

"What…?" Daityas looked around, noticing the very ground he stood on started to melt! The ground collapsed and Daityas started to fall, where a nasty surprise would be waiting for him: A rising dragon head composed of acid and poison! This dragon roared before consuming Daityas whole, rising miles into the sky before it eventually exploded! This explosion was enough to shake the earth for a few miles out and acidic rain began to fall as a result from such a powerful attack.

"Ah…" Leon stared into the aftermath of his Secret Art, panting softly from the amount of magic it used.

"Not bad, kid…" Daityas landed back on the ground with a powerful slam. The smoke cleared around his body to reveal the obvious signs of damage dealt. He didn't seem infuriated or annoyed…he was still grinning, glad to see that there was potentially a human out there that could nudge him a little bit to get serious. "You don't deserve this…but I'll give you a glimpse of death incarnate." Daityas spread his arms out, a hellish light starting to emit from his being. When that light faded, Daityas's form completely changed! His body was surrounded by fierce, thick armor, wings protruded from his back and he held a flaming great sword in his hands. "Welcome to the Fires of Death. I'll be sure to roast you over an open fire slowly…" With one step forward, Daityas suddenly reappeared just a few feet away from Leon with the sword raised over his head.

"Acid Dragon's Sword!" Leon quickly formed a blade of poison and acid within his grip. He was seriously about to challenge a weapon that more than doubled the size of his own body! And it was a challenge he wasn't going to win. The second the blades clashed, Daityas's incinerated Leon's poison and a massive vertical beam of flame consumed the Acid Dragon and spread out for miles on end. Leon was able to escape these flames, just in the nick of time as well as a black pigment overcame them. Every organism that didn't get incinerated in Daityas's destructive waked died…instantly. "Death magic!?"

"Like I said…" Daityas stabbed his sword into the ground, causing a line of flame to travel towards Leon rapidly. Before contact, it split into two trails that circled around Leon, only to merge once behind him and erupt into a tornado of hell flames. "Those who bear witness upon this form shall never live to tell the tale. Even if you begged for mercy and groveled at my feet for your life, I wouldn't give it to you. All humans deserve to die anyway."

"Acid Dragon's Swirling Corrosion!" Twisting his body around, Leon formed a cocoon of poison/acid around his body. This was to protect his body from the searing flames outside, but it only lasted so long before the flames burned away the acid and left Leon defenseless for the duration of the attack. Though Leon had quite a high amount of pain tolerance, even he was starting to feel it. Daityas's power was far too much, but that wouldn't be his excuse for giving up. Leon fell to a knee, but sneered at the Demon King with the upmost hatred and contempt.

"I think I've had fun stretching for now…" Daityas was beginning to lose interest in this fight, if he even considered it that. "I'll end things here…"

"Not yet…" Leon had to push himself to limits unimaginable if he wanted to come close to winning! One shot…one decisive blow was all he needed…and in order to do that he was going to had to do the unthinkable. As a dragon slayer, there was a risk: the overuse of the magic could turn the user into a dragon. The 1st and 3rd generation dragon slayers didn't have to deal with this issue because of the Dragons' efforts to prevent this…but Leon began as a 2nd generation dragon slayer with no immediate teacher, which meant… "Even if I destroy my body, if it'll put an end to you and your heinous crimes against humanity…I'll DO IT!" Leon's body started to turn bright green; acidic scales began to cover his body from head to toe and draconic wings sprouted from his back. His shape couldn't even be acknowledged as human anymore. With a roar equivalent to that of a dragon, Leon stared Daityas down in his new form: Draconic Rage.

"Don't overstep your boundaries, kid…" Daityas recognized Leon's increase in strength, but did it faze him? Not quite. He just stared at the 'dragon' before him with a widening grin. "Otherwise you won't be able to turn back." And in that moment, he felt something pulse within him. "Gnk...!?" Trinity's poison was finally hitting him hard. He started coughing up blood, growling. Did Trinity really do this much damage to him!? In fact, there was blood spurting from all over his body.

"This is my final gift to you, Brother...never underestimate the tenacity of humans." Trinity's voice echoed in his mind. Daityas felt the mental image of Trinity stabbing him in the back. It all hit Daityas in that moment. Trinity knew that Daityas would get pushed to his Demon form. The more power that Daityas used, the more Trinity's poison bled into the flames he used, until it was in his very being. Right now, Daityas was more poison than demon, and his body couldn't withstand such a heavy amount of toxins.

"TRINITY!? EVEN WHEN YOU'RE DEAD?!" Daityas snarled.

There was a smile on Leon's face. He knew that Trinity wouldn't die without one last surprise. "I made my choice." Leon stated firmly before lunging forward. He was gathering all of his magic energy into his right arm, coated purple with poison! This was it, do or die! And the decision was…unresolved as Daityas stabbed his sword into Leon's chest, lifting him into the air. Leon gasped and coughed up spools of blood while staring down at Daityas.

Despite his weakened state, he could still beat Leon. The position they were in now made it clear. "Don't feel so bad. It's been ages since I've been able to stretch like this! You fought harder than any other human could. That's not so bad, but considering everyone who fights me ends up the same way…it's not really an improvement. You, Trinity...I'll make sure everyone who crosses paths with me dies. I'm not dying before I kill Zeref myself." Daityas chuckled quietly, twisting his blade in Leon's chest.

Gritting his teeth through the pain, Leon finally found the chance he was looking forward. With everything he could muster, his arm was thrown forward, right in Daityas' face, his mass amount of magic finally released! "Poison Acid Dragon's UNHOLY RELEASE!"

"What the!?" Daityas caught on just a second too late. Leon purposely let himself get impaled, for it would just bring him closer to Daityas. Leon's magic released into a literal nuclear explosion of poison and acid that spread out for miles on end! The emerald dome expanded, corroding all it touched into pools of nothingness.

When it all cleared…the only one left remaining was a heavily injured Leon. His body slowly reverted to normal and he fell to the ground on his hands and knees, barely managing to stay conscious. He couldn't sense Daityas' presence anymore…so did this mean…?

"Leon…!" From nearby, Aira and Cygnus appeared. They managed to protect themselves from Leon's final attack and were glad to see their nakama still alive and well. "I can't believe it…you're okay…!" Aira could barely contain her happiness. "Hold still, I'll be over in a second to…"

It wasn't long before a black portal opened up behind Leon. A damaged arm tightly gripped onto his leg, slowly beginning to drag him down. Daityas' burned and deformed face rose from the portal, a twisted grin stretched on his damaged lips. Daityas was more of a mess than he was a person at first. Trinity's poison wore him down immensely, and Leon's finishing blow nearly did the trick. If he was going to lose... "If I'm going back to hell…I'M TAKING YOU WITH ME."

"Shit…! He was still alive!?" Cygnus shook his head and dashed towards Leon. "Hang on, we're gonna pull you out of there!"

Aira was already on the job, holding onto Leon's arm and used all her might to try and pull her from Daityas' grip, but for some reason the dying had a grip of steel that couldn't be broken! "Let him go…!" Aira pleaded. It was then Cygnus joined in, trying to use himself as a counterbalance weight with gravity to pry Leon away from Daityas.

"Aira…" Leon weakly smiled at Aira. "It's okay…"

"No it isn't!" Aira objected. "I won't let him take you, even if it's the last thing I do!"

"How much does this guy weigh, 1000 pounds!?" Cygnus groaned while feeling himself being dragged forward along with Aira. They weren't going to beat Daityas' dying grip like this!

"I'LL TAKE ALL OF YOU TO HELL!" Daityas's sickening grin widened as the portal started to expand. It wouldn't be much longer before all three of them were dragged into the depths of the literal Underworld.

"Aira…Listen to me carefully. This may be the end of the line for me…but I don't want you to die trying to save me. Instead, I want you to live your life. That would be the best thing you could do for me right now…" Leon gave Aira a warm smile before summoning the last of his magic to coat his arm in acid. Surprisingly, Aira held on strong for a few moments before finally having to let go against her will. The second Leon slipped away from her grasp; both Leon and Daityas were dragged into the other side of the portal which immediately closed.

A rough silence filled the area. Aira's blonde hair created a shade over her eyes as saline began to build up. The female stayed motionless, not uttering a single word. "…"

"Aira…" Cygnus rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry…I couldn't be more useful…"

"No…it's fine." Aira stood back up, facing Cygnus with a forced smile. "I can't focus on that right now…right now, we have to join the others. These demons will pay for their horrible misdeeds…" The wind started to blow, revealing the tears that streamed down Aira's cheeks. Those emerald eyes shone brightly with determination. The advent of the wind goddess was upon them.

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Next Time: Tartarus Rebirth Arc: Part 2! Eclipse Counter Attack!