Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters; they belong to the one and only Hiro Mashima.

I do own the idea for the fic though.

A change of scene.

(A I.-.-.I Kuroyagi I.-.-.I original fan-fiction story.)

Chapter 22

Phantom Lord Final

Part 1

Wings of Liberty - Wings of Damnation

Magnolia town…

Fairy Tail's backyard…

(Theme: Dark Guild – Fairy Tail OST)

"C'mon, Menas! Where's that hype you had back there!?" Issus yelled to the top of his lungs as he threw the man towards the crumbling building that once was a guild. He saw his objective crash against it and a mountain of rubble fell on cue, but he still followed anyway. He knew he couldn't let the man any chance of respite. "Did I hit you too hard or something!?"

Landing upon the rubble, he inserted a hand in the mountain of debris and tried to fish his enemy out.

"On the contrary," but his enemy took hold of his arm and brought him face first against the wood and bricks, partly knocking him out for a few seconds that were enough to let Menas escape his confinement and stand again on his own feet. He swung the man up and kicked him towards the beach, giving what seemed to be a pitiful glance to his downed adversary. "I think I was the one to hit you too hard."

The white-haired man rolled and rolled, trying to stop his path to the waters as best he could until his fingers did the ricks. He was tired and needed a few minutes to replenish his magic but the looming threat of a cannon over them kept him motivated enough to stand again and continue the fight.

"Serves you right, how you dare interrupt a family reunion." The armored wizard lunged and took hold of the man's head again, this time dragging him back all the way with him until they were standing in the middle of the shades of Jose Porla and the wizards of Fairy Tail that were fighting them back. He swung the man up and then down, repeatedly, concentrating on knocking him out for good so he could continue with his mission. "Have you no manners?"

He let go of the man in the middle of the air and kicked him again, this time returning the favor and letting him crash near the crumbling guild.

His fingers moved in anxiousness. He was enjoying this. He wanted to play with the white-haired man some more. But his sight shifted to the scarlet-haired wizard that remained on the ground after the uppercut he delivered. Was she out cold or waiting for a moment to strike?

It didn't matter. "That woman and I… it has been a long time since we saw each other."

Menas dashed and clutched the man's head again when it was out of the rubble. He didn't want to waste any more time with him. Soon enough, the cannon would fire and everything in that place would be turned to cinders. He repeated his previous move, knowing that it was better if he kept his enemy shocked, and repeatedly hit Issus's head against the rubble. "Die now and let me fulfill my orders."

The white-haired man grew tired of the manhandling and broke free, jumping back several meters away to prevent another attack like the last one.

"D-Damn… you almost broke her jaw back there… mine, too." Issus spun over two hands and somersaulted until he was within range of the armored wizard, pushing the man back with a whirlwind of kicks that surely look lethal. He hopped off the ground and landed on his feet a few steps away from Menas, whipping the blood from his mouth with the sleeve of his coat. "Seriously, unless you have a weird way to show affection that's not how you say hello after a long time."

Menas snorted and resumed his fighting stance.

"You know nothing, Whiteblood." He summoned a pair of swords and lunged, seeking to split the man in two by separating the legs from the rest of the body. "Die with your ignorance!"

Issus pushed one sword away with his left forearm and then punched the other one down with his right fist, walking back so he could be as far away from a physical counter as possible. "Sure, man, whatever you say."

He did a back flip and avoided another sword from piercing his torso and saw the madman rushing to catch him upon his landing, only that this time Issus took the chance to grab Menas' wrist and bring the man closer to him. He grinned. "Hey, wanna experience something cool?"

In the lapse of a second, his other fist was brought back and then forward, holding what seemed to be a glowing sphere of White Magic. "Here you go! White God's Interference!"

"Ugh!" The white-haired man let go of Menas when the attack connected to the armored wizard's chest plate and the result was the sight as the start of this chapter. The Ripper was sent crashing against the rubble of Fairy Tail's remains, letting go of his weapons and creating a great cloud of dust upon his landing.

"Wooooh… I think I overdid it…" Issus murmured as he saw how more and more of the building was torn apart because of their struggle. He had to sweatdrop at the sight; the wizards of Fairy Tail were fighting behind him to prevent the magic shadows from doing any harm to their home and he was doing the exact opposite to helping them. Oh well, it couldn't be avoided. "I think that'll be all for now…"

The rubble was moved aside, the dust cleared from the collision zone and Menas stood up again in the middle of it all, looking unfazed after that last direct attack.

Cracking his neck from side to side with a hand helping him, he shook his head before addressing the flabbergasted agent of the Council that was some meters away. "Really… your confidence will be your doom."

He disappeared in a haze of black and gray and reappeared in front of the white-haired man, bringing a leg down to perform a lethal blow to the man's skull.

"I shall teach you how to truly defeat an enemy."

On another part of the battlefield, where the ground was mostly covered by poles of iron and towers of ice, two fighters engaged and disengaged each other in between hits, trying to land a critical blow on the other so that the fight should not have a need to escalate like the previous day.

Francis was sure that the woman was not fully recovered from eating the God Slayer's Iron.

Vayne could smell that the man was struggling with the wounds she left him in their last encounters.

It was a matter of catching the other off-guard and landing the decisive slash, stab, punch or kick that would end their match once and for all, aside giving a clear score to their encounters.

It was even so far.

He won.

She won.

Now was the third time they fought each other.

And as we all know, the third time is the charm.

"Stop moving around, blondie!" The woman of black hair yelled as she kept on slashing at her target, adding more and more strength with each hit to break the man's arms. She knew by now that his sword was breakable but that it would regenerate itself before long. She needed to win this by showing her superior physical prowess. "I'm getting bored!"

Francis parried another strike to his shoulders and turned mid-way, calling forth his magic seal to execute his trademark move. "Ice God's…!"

Vayne saw the move happening again, her mind showing her a short flashback of the last time she witnessed it, and prepared herself. She joined both her arms and turned them into a drill with a large guard, most of her skin hardening to prevent any slashes from injuring her. "Iron Dragon's…!"

Francis lunged when the drill made contact with his magic seal, his trap, and the woman stopped, aiming to cut through her iron and end the fight now. "Judgment of the Snow Storm!"

Vayne grinned when the attack hit her, feeling nothing but a scratch along the upper part of her right arm, and, when the spell of the man wore off, she turned around and lunged quickly with her own spell still ready. "Nightmare Drill!"

Turning around with the speed he had left…

"Ice God's Glacier!" The blond man blocked the attack by swinging his sword upwards, erecting a large block of ice to stop the approaching drill. Unfortunately the ice shattered on contact, letting the woman pass and continue her offensive. But he would have none of that. He got ready again with his sword held upside down and lunge as well. "Ice God's Temper of the Blizzard!"

The furry of snow and ice that went beside him as he charged stopped the woman a little.

Yet she was determined to be the victor of this third match.

"Iron Dragon's Iron Pole!" She called, turning her legs into poles of metal that elongated at her mental order and helped her in charging despite the oppressive strength of the blond man's spell. She glared at the blond man when they were close to each other. "I'm killin' you now, dickhead!"

"Shut up and die already!" The blond man replied with equal fervor, feeling a small shake of his hand when the edge of his sword met the tip of the drill. He clicked his tongue.

And both attacks clashed.

The sudden explosion caused the battlefield to tremble slight, aside creating a sizable cloud of dust.

"You're getting slower, man!" Issus called as he dodged another set of punches to his chest, using his extended palms to deflect most of them with ease. He had to admit that the armored wizard was very good at close combat, yet, he was better. He didn't feel pressured so far, except for the few times the man managed to take a hold of him.

"I am not." Menas stopped his fury of punches and did a couple of back flips, stopping at the third and lunging again with his head first. He collided with the white-haired man head-on and sent him flying against the ruins of the guild, his back embedded against the collapsing wall. "This is your end."

He summoned a gun to his hand and fired multiple times, letting the purple beams of dark magic shriek their way towards the startled enemy.

But a blur appeared before Issus and slashed at all the beams with ease, some of them changing directions and damaging the downed building some more.

"I see you've recovered." The Ripper muttered as the blur took a more distinctive form, showing itself to be the woman of scarlet hair he was fighting earlier. An almost null sense of relief made his vision flicker, forcing him to shake his head to get rid of such emotion in him. He needed to complete his objective. "Scarlet."

Erza was now clad in black armor, bat wings protruding from her back, giving her the ability to fly, and her hands held only one sword. From the past scuffle, the man was versatile in fighting with two swords. If she wanted to win this, she would need to resort to one sword alone for now, to focus her strength and speed in keeping him back. She stared long and hard at him, probably remembering what he told her before they were interrupted, and then shifted her eyes to the man she protected.

"Sorry for making you wait." Erza murmured a bit apologetic. Truth be told, she could have continued fighting earlier, but her mind was still processing the latest news it was given. She needed time to adjust to that and later she would be able to do her best in the fight. Which was happening now. "Are you hurt badly?"

"N-no, I'm alright… I guess." Issus muttered between groans, taking his body off the wall and standing on his own feet. He looked at the woman in wonder and then at the armored wizard they were facing. His eyes narrowed. Even though they were two, he doubted they would be able to bring the man down, especially now that he seemed to be going all out. "What about you? Can you handle him?"

"I'll do my best." She spoke determined, looking ahead and preparing herself to lunge. Still, she had something to request of the white-haired man, and she made it obvious by pointing to the front of the battle. He followed her finger and saw the sight he was trying to keep at the back of his mind. The cannon was almost ready, the shades were overpowering the wizards of Fairy Tail and there didn't seem to be anyone else there that could help. "But in exchange, deal with the shades of Master Porla. Your magic should be a good defense against them."

"Are you…?" The man wanted to ask if she really wanted to handle the armored wizard on her own, but a quick nod of her head shut him up. "He'll be tough."

"Nothing I haven't faced before." Erza gave a small smile and lunged, bringing her sword down on the armored wizard, whom in turn summoned a couple of swords to block the strike. From how the knees of the enemy buckled, Issus could tell the woman was fighting with all the strength she had left. "Go now! I'll deal with him!"

"Strong words from someone so weak." Menas hissed, parrying the blow to the side and dealing a kick to the woman's mid-section. She skid to the left a couple of meters and he lunged, slashing from the side and the top. "You're not recovered at all, Scarlet. Surrender."

"I won't, there are many things I need to ask you." The scarlet-haired woman used her wings and flew away from the slashes, later changing her direction and the hold on her sword to land a vicious flurry of stabs to the man's left. "I will defeat you and get the answers I want!"

The armored wizard snorted at the conviction in the woman's voice, feeling it amusing. He parried all of her blows and jumped with great strength towards one of the walls of the building, using it as support for a second before hopping from it with the same jumping strength. His swords went forward for a steady stab to her core.

"Tch!" Erza side-stepped the blow and rose her sword, seeing the man changing his tactic at last second and rolling on the ground. He stopped, stood up and lunged at her the old traditional way, returning the woman's previous flurry of slashes with one of his own. The Knight could barely keep on. 'I need to distract him until the others are safe…!'

Issus bit back the many things he wanted to say and nodded stiffly, rushing to the front of the battle.

"W-what are you doing here!?" The woman of brown hair, Cana, asked when she spotted the blur of the white-haired man landing on a crouched position next to her. She swung a couple of cards to some other shades nearing them, trying to keep them away from them. One single touch from them could be fatal.

"I-Issus?" In turn, Mira directed her attention to the inside of the guild, where fighting could be heard, seeing her former rival and friend fighting the armored wizard on her own. That couldn't be. The lot of them couldn't lay a finger on him, even if it was Erza, she doubted she could take him down on her own. "Erza needs your help more! You-!"

"Everyone form a defensive ring around me and stand your ground!" The white-haired wizard called, bringing his arms to his chest and gathering a large amount of magic on the spot. He needed to be useful with his magic now, distribute the burden. If the woman of scarlet hair said she could handle Menas, he would believe in her. "This is gonna be flashy!"

The wizards around him did as he yelled, after Cana gave them a confirmation to do so, and waited with bathed breaths for what the man was preparing. There was a large amount of light forming on his chest, shaking the ground around them slightly.

"White God's…!" Issus growled the words out with all of his being, preparing one single spell that would give them the advantage for now and give time for someone to deal with the cannon. It has been some time since he used this kind of top tier magic.

He stood up to full height and extended his arms to the sky, throwing the mass of Light Magic on his chest to float like a sun in the middle of the wizards of Fairy Tail.

He narrowed one eye at the large amount of magic he used to cast the spell and yelled.

"White God's Effulgent Mercy!"

The orb of light flickered for a second, shades surrounding it like moths to a flame, and then it exploded in brightness.

"W-what the hell is that…?" Some of the wizards questioned, covering their eyes from the second sun that appeared over them.

It was disintegrating the shades of Jose Porla and pushing back the new ones that formed.

"I-I can keep this spell working for a while!" Issus yelled to call the attention of the wizards, instructing them on what to do. He needed to keep his focus on the spell or it would disappear, leaving them wide open for a merciless counter-attack from their enemies. He couldn't make another one after this, so it was better if he kept the current one functioning. "All and any wounded take refuge under it! The rest of you, don't let anyone get near me!"

Cana and Mira looked at the young man with concern, noticing what he pulled off and why he didn't want to be touched or bothered. Concentration was key with this kind of spells and he knew his magic was their best choice at the moment.

Biting her lower lip at the impotence she felt, Cana nodded and started giving orders to her fellows, accommodating the wounded inside the defensive ring and keeping them defended with the orb of light protecting them from above.

"Issus… can you really handle this?" Mira asked a bit concerned. For the little she got to talk with the young man, she could tell he was a good man, a bit distrustful but a good man nonetheless.

"H-heh…" Issus gave a shaky smirk in return, keeping the shaking of his arms to a minimum. "I-I can handle it… but really… this is a pain…"

The white-haired beauty shook her head in amusement despite the frown on her face. "We'll do our best to keep them at bay."

And the agent of the Council replied with a simple. "Please do."

(Theme ends here~)

Phantom Lord…

Jupiter Cannon's power room…

The very same room in which the Jupiter Cannon was kept, loaded and reloaded. It was a sizeable room with many artifacts around to control the mighty power of the weapon, stabilizing it and making it fit for use. Some measures there, some stabilizers here. Yet, the real controller of the cannon was not all of this machinery spread equally around the room.

No.

'If I shatter that lacrima, the cannon's loading will be stopped.' Ryota thought as he gazed at the gigantic lacrima in the middle of the room, seeing it preparing its contained energy for the next blast. Or was it only a container for the magic that the fortress gathered from outside?

He couldn't dwell too much on those thoughts.

A wave of fire was approaching him and he needed to stop it before it got to burn him.

"Iron God's Wall." He muttered calmly, getting on one knee to punch the ground and create the wall that would protect him. It was a matter of seeing the heavy surface deflect the fire that was aimed for him and later call it off. Coming to see his enemy face-to-face. He sighed when the young man of mismatched hair continued to grin in his direction. "Seriously… you guys are way over the moron's scale."

He infiltrated the facility during the small moment of confusion that arose during the arrival of Vayne and Menas, thinking it was better to split the team into two groups and fight on two fronts. Three if he thought of the others that were keeping the shades at bay.

Elfman and he got inside fairly quickly, knocking out some of the lesser members of the guild with ease and deciding to split up, even inside the enemy's base, so that they could break as much havoc as they could. Elfman would call the attention of everyone in the base and Ryota would go to destroy the lacrima powering the cannon.

A sound plan.

But he didn't expect a mismatch-haired man to be guarding the lacrima once he arrived.

The man of mismatched hair, one side black, one side white, was actually Totomaru from the Elemental Four. An expert swordsman and skilled practitioner of Fire Magic. He was grinning, from ear-to-ear, but not because he had his enemy cornered. It was the fact that this very man kept Envy on the ropes the day before and now he couldn't do anything against his fire. "Comes from the dude that got beaten up by a sickly girl."

Somewhere on the battlefield outside, Vayne sneezed.

"I am the great Totomaru! One of the Elemental Four!" He yelled with his pride entwined strongly to his words, calling forth more fire to aid him in the fight against the rival guild's God Slayer. His arms crossed, he was confident that he could keep the man in check until the cannon fired again. "You Fairy trash cannot do much against my fire except block!"

And he directed another wave of fire to the older wizard, brimming with confidence that the match would continue like that.

"Don't mind me, but…" But Ryota had other plans in mind. He shifted his stance and got ready to take on the fire head-on, hardening his skin with his trademark iron to do so better. Once the flames reached him, he started to push forward, a bit slow at first, determined to see this to the end later. The sight of his walking form in the middle of the fire made the enemy gulp. His eyes were glowing red in between all the inferno. "I'll knock some sense into you and then destroy that lacrima."

Totomaru took a step back, seeing the God Slayer advancing with no trouble through the fire.

'Tch! He's really pushing it.' He needed to hold him back as much as he possibly could, there was only a minute before the cannon were to fire again. The wizard moved his hands, changed the nature of the fire around the black-haired man and turned the burning fire around him into a poisonous green fire that seemed to get a reaction. He smirked. "Enjoy it all you want! That's the Green Fire! Acid Flame!"

"Acid!?" Ryota's body flinched at the name of the element, the only one that could really break through his iron. He inspected his arms and saw with much surprise how his clothes were consumed by the acidic flames, passing all the way through to his iron skin. "This thing… it itches…!"

The damage was not enough to get him to panic but the slight corroding of his armor made him look at the enemy with anger.

"You damn asshole!" He withdrew one arm and spread his legs, the appendage turned into an iron pole and he swung it forward, beyond the mist of acid that was attacking him and towards the owner of it. "Now I'm pissed!"

"Hahahah!" Totomaru laughed wildly, dodging the strike with a simple flip when it was going for his legs. He made another movement with his hands and intensified the green flames surrounding the God Slayer, concentrating them over him so that the man was brought to his knees. "Told you, metal-head! I'm the great Totomaru! You cannot -!"

"Hey… you're too loud."

"Uh?" The mismatched-haired man looked around when he heard a voice and landed his eyes on the base of the cannon's barrel. His eyes widened. There was a man of spiky white hair standing there with his partially closed eyes focused on the lacrima inside the room. "W-Who the hell -!?"

"So this is Jupiter's power source, huh?" Nova murmured to himself, calmly inspecting the huge lacrima in the room with attentive eyes. He got back up a few moments ago and decided to get inside the building by using the cannon's barrel itself. Far better than using a door or opening a path, he thought. And it led him straight into the weapon's power room. "That's one big pain in the ass."

Not bad.

'Time to execute the plan then.' He brought his index and middle finger to his temple and concentrated on a spell he learned for situations like this one, connecting his mind to those outside that were part of his team. Issus and Francis looked up at the sudden familiar feeling creeping to the back of their minds, knowing what was happening and returning to their current situations while they heard what their leader had to say. "Guys, I'm in… the power source is just like Fran said… and I'm going to destroy it."

"You're going to what?" Totomaru called from his position, confused by the sudden arrival and enraged that the man was not even taking him into account. "If you want to destroy Jupiter, you'll have to go through me first!"

"That's my job, dumbass!"

A yell came from ahead and the swordsman had to duck low to avoid an iron poll to the face, letting the God Slayer of Fairy Tail pass over him. He thought he could send the ambusher to the ceiling now but a knee he didn't see made him be the one crashing against the walls of the room.

"Getting distracted so easily…" Ryota brought his right fist to clash against his left palm and glared at the member of the Elemental Four. He was going to make sure Phantom never thinks on fighting Fairy Tail again. He turned both arms into solid iron and lunged, seeking to end the fight as quickly as possible. "I'll get rid of you for when that guy moves again!"

"C-cocky bastard…" The swordsman rose back to his feet and unsheathed his sword, running with all he could to give the enemy some payback for the literal low blow. The acidic green flames of before returned and helped him in keeping the other wizard at bay, with the other being only able to dodge or parry the strikes since he knew that spell was dangerous against him. "I'll show you why we're superior!"

"Alright, guys, that's the plan." Nova finished lazily, stretching his neck to the sides while eyeing the fight happening in the room. He smirked a little, submerged in his thoughts. If these people were to know the kind of damage they could deal when going all out… oh, this war would've been stopped a lot earlier. Lucky thing they don't know that… "Oh! And Fran…? Issus…?"

…yet.

"You're free to do as you want."

Cutting the transmission now that the message was delivered, the white-haired man withdrew his fingers from his temple and walked ahead, dusting off his hands as he wondered how to end the massive-sized lacrima that powered Jupiter.

"Now..."

His smirk grew wider at the idea of destroying the whole place.

"…how should I handle this thing?"

Magnolia's outskirts…

Porlyusca's house…

The gentle sway of the leaves at the top of the trees, the almost unnoticeable breeze moving everything in its path.

A picture that spoke of quietness and peacefulness, no matter how you look at it.

Dull, perhaps.

Yet, awe-inspiring.

Since the distant sounds of fighting which came from the nearby town couldn't break the spell nature placed upon the land.

"Despicable…" A woman standing in the middle of this scenery spoke to the winds, still in front of the porch of her home, which happened to be a tree fashioned into a home of sorts. She had long, pink hair tied up in bun and red eyes that held respect for no one. Aside some wrinkles because of her age.

The breeze picked up its strength and the bangs of hair at the sides of her face sway forward.

"Invading at full strength just because of a stupid impulse." Even if the words she used were harsh, that didn't mean they held less veracity in them. "And that man is supposed to be Makarov's equal? Laughable."

"I'd say that's partly my fault."

"Will I ever be left alone for once?" Her eyes moved to the corners of her vision, trying to find her listener in that place, but she surrendered and gazed ahead again. This time with narrowed eyes, she had a slight idea of whom was with her in that part of the forest. "Brats appearing from nowhere to see me as if I were some kind of rally point…"

The voice made something akin to a hushed chuckle and answered. "I'm not the first one to get here, am I?"

"No, and even if you ask, I won't tell you who came before you." Was the quick counter; no matter if this brat was important or not, her allegiances with those of the guild came first. Mystogan liked his secrecy as much as she liked to be left alone. "I can only say he already left and is far from your reach."

"Oh… good… I'm not here for that guy, anyway." The voice sounded amused, as if the annoyance of the older woman, even if dangerous, gave him something to laugh about. But then, the voice turned serious. "I'm here to ask you a favor."

"Oh?" Porlyusca quirked an eyebrow at the request.

This was interesting to some degree.

Annoying, but interesting. "And that favor is?"

"Keep the old man here." The voice said without a hint of joke in its tone, surprising the woman and forcing her to turn around so as to see who was talking to her. To confirm her suspicions. "I'll take care of Jose."

The gentle breeze of the afternoon picked up its speed again and she had to bring an arm up to shield her eyes from the dirt, losing sight of her speaker and of any trace that could reveal his identity.

From how far his voice sounded, he was probably talking to her from one of the branches closer to the door of her home.

Really close, too much for her liking.

'That egocentric brat is going to face a Wizard Saint, huh?' Her eyes narrowed in thinking, at the time she turned around again to see towards the battle taking place by the coast of Magnolia, where the guild to which she belonged years ago was. 'I wonder if he'll be able to stand against such a thing.'

She shook her head in abhorrence and turned around.

Even though she knew the brat might be needing a hand or two to face a foe with experience equaling Makarov, she wanted to see if he would be competent enough to at least survive until help arrives.

'A Councilor facing one of its chosen wizards… it'll be something interesting to see.' She had to roll her eyes and sigh at the oh-so-dramatic thought she conjured, but still, she was interested in the result of such a thing. 'I rarely do favors for guys like him... but…'

She opened the door to her humble home and stopped, looking over her shoulder at the fighting occurring in Magnolia.

"I don't make any promises, if this stubborn old man wants to leave, I'll let him."

After that, she returned her attention forward and went inside the house.

Closing the door behind her and leaving the young pink-haired man outside to smile sincerely at her words.

"I don't remember asking for a promise… but that's alright." Natsu looked at the small place where the Master of Fairy Tail was resting and then turned to see the landscape of the town that awaited him. The path of destruction that mined the main street was noticeable from there and the location of the current fights was pretty obvious when noticing a brilliant light coming from behind the Guild's building and the many towers of smoke rising from around. "Quite the big party they've got there…"

"Oh? Are you sad they didn't invite you?"

He rolled his eyes at what the orb floating over his shoulder said. "No, I just commented on it."

"Poor little Natsu was forgotten, yet again." That female voice echoing from the orb was annoying, but he knew she had something of a point there. "And all because he was late to realize the simplest truth."

"Okay… no need to rub it on my face, Ultear." Enduring whatever she wanted to say to tease him or poke his ribs, he continued the vigilance of the battlefield from his position. It was far, yet so close, he could even noticed the shine of swords and armors dancing in between the mayhem of smoke.

The movements of people, two people, clashing in between the rubble, over it, hidden by the smoke that only moved away when the swords clashed against each other to push the other back or to strike down the enemy with all the strength that could be mustered.

At such sight, a single name came to his mind.

After all, there was only one swordsman – or swordswoman – that could fight toe to toe against someone like the agent Jellal sent to help Phantom Lord. "…Titania."

"…oh my God! You're still fawning over her, aren't you?" The purple-haired woman had to laugh at this, she seriously had to. It was incredibly funny to see the once immature, hyperactive and fighting-oriented Natsu so head over heels for a girl. Something she certainly didn't expect to see so soon. So, in her words… "Awww! They grow so fast~!"

Another rolling of his eyes –plus a minor flush of his cheeks- and the guy tried his best to ignore that last part. "I'm simply worried about her… she's facing Menas, remember? He's no easy opponent."

"I know that, you fool." Ultear commented idly, letting him know that she wasn't buying that excuse of his. "You're just worried about her guild losing to someone like him… or actually her, losing to someone like him."

He had to suppress a growl from escaping him. "Ultear…"

"Just teasing you, my poor, lovesick, puppy." She teased again. Of course she wouldn't miss the chance to mess around with the pink-haired Councilor. It was just too good to be missed. Especially when she considered how things will be once he finds out the real truth behind the Tower and their third associate. "Learn to take a joke every now and then. You cannot be the almighty Luminer all the time, now, do you?"

Natsu looked down with a sullen glint in his eyes, eyeing the clothes from the Magic Council that he was still wearing. After what happened back in Era, he was completely sure that this would be the last time anyone ever used his faux name again. "…I guess so."

Ultear nodded in understanding without need to be told more. She was aiming for him to realize this and to do all the things that would follow later that week. "Then go there and fight, not for Jellal, me or our plan."

'…the plan…' Even though he got what she was trying to tell him, he still couldn't help but have a little bit of doubt in him for what he was about to do. For what he was about to forsake in order to save someone he cared for now. "…are you sure?"

'Of course I am! This goes exactly like MY plans need to!' Ultear shook her head as if she had been asked the simplest question from a young little boy. Despite what she had to do, she still had something of a soft spot for the pink-haired boy. Telling him a few nice words while also moving the strings to her liking wasn't a bad thing in her mind. "I'm sure, Natsu. Don't worry about anything and just follow what your heart tells you."

'What my heart tells me, huh…?' Natsu narrowed his eyes at the words and thought of them for a moment.

Would it be right?

"It's the right thing to do…"

Why should he do it?

"…no one deserves to be alone…"

A more concrete reason!

"…don't repeat your mistakes, don't try to avoid them…"

But this is his mistake.

"…you're not at fault for what happened, son."

How can he do it?

"We understand magic, we know its power and the things it can accomplish…"

How would he use it?

"…a free world for everyone, where death doesn't bother us…"

But that's too surreal if thought slowly.

"…and we can be together with those we love for all the eternity!"

But his loved ones are here and now!

They are in danger, right now!

'I need a better solution, dammit!'

"Nothing will change. A weakling will always be a weakling."

'I'm not a weakling!'

"All humans are and will be weaklings but that's because we are alone…"

'But I…! I am…! …am I truly alone?'

"When we are alone, all we feel is insecurity…"

'I'm not… insecure…'

"…that's why we have friends…"

'I have them!'

"…we tread this path together to have a good life…"

'I've been with them from the start!'

"…the weak person will climb up more walls alone than with company…"

'I know...! …but have they... have they been with me…?'

"…do your part…"

'…my part…'

"…you will no doubt grow stronger and live happily…"

'…happiness…'

"…without depending on anything."

(Theme: Natsu's Theme – Fairy Tail OST)

'…without depending on anything…' Standing up on the branch that he was using to survey the area, Natsu let a smile split his face in half. Figuratively, that is. He grasped the trunk of the tree on which he was and let the wind do its work on his scaly scarf and rose hair. 'Without depending on some stupid Resurrection System and a wizard that might be dead for good!'

He felt better now.

His head was clear.

His goals were clear.

'That's it! I'll just do what I feel's right!' He punched his open palm with a flaming fist and grinned at the fights waiting for him in the small town of Magnolia. Especially inside the mobile fortress belonging to Phantom Lord. "I'll just follow what Igneel taught me and kick some asses! Left and right!"

'Not quite the revelation I was hoping for, but sounds okay to me.' Ultear nodded from the other side of her communication lacrima, giving a small encouraging smile to the now determined boy. Sure, her plans were going accordingly, but seeing him smiling like he used to when she met him years ago. It was worth it. A small droplet of sweet fell from her brow as she encouraged him to go and follow his instincts. "Right, so what will you do exactly?"

'Just what I had to do in the first place!' Natsu bent his knees to impulse him when jumping and aimed his sight to the top of the building in the horizon, wanting to make a flashy entrance with his arrival as he likes to do. "I'm gonna burn that place down!"

And with an explosion of fire coming from the sole of his feet.

He was off towards the next fight.

Leaving a small orb made of lacrima floating on its own.

With a woman smiling widely at the landscape and what it would bring in the future.

(Theme ends here~)

"Might as well use this as training, Natsu." Ultear murmured from her spot, watching the tail of fire heading straight to where the fight was thickest as the orb retreated to the shadows of the forest. "Be sure that what follows now will only serve to test you and your ideals over and over again."

The orb grew distant and somber, into the shadows where no one could hear it or see it.

"Show me what your determination can accomplish, Natsu…"

Magnolia town…

Fairy Tail's backyard…

(Theme: Armor of Titania – Fairy Tail OST)

A slash to his left shoulder blocked by the guard on his forearm and later followed by a stab of his own to her head.

A stab to her face parried at the last second thanks to the second blade she called when realizing the difficulty of this fight.

"What's the matter, Scarlet? Cannot keep up the pace?" The man of dark armor questioned with a slight tint of mirth in his words, sounding confident in his imminent victory against the idolized swordswoman of Fairy Tail. She clicked her tongue in annoyance and made for a slash to his mid-section, but he stopped it by switching his hold and using his sword upside down. Blocking it with minimum effort. "Your desperation is evident from miles away."

"I need to beat you so that my friend can help the others in fighting the shades." Erza muttered sourly as she held her ground against the strong opponent. She made a side glance to the people behind and noticed that there were no more than five meters separating her from where the rest of the guild was holding its ground. She had to push the man away, no matter what. "I won't let you get any closer!"

Her enemy snorted at her claim.

"What's so funny!?" She asked, seriously unnerved by this man.

"You make it sound as if you're truly holding me back." Menas murmured after the short snort, using strength alone to push the woman back, unlike her who was using not just her natural strength but the attributes of her current armor to help her. One step back from her made it the more obvious. "When, in truth, I'm the one waiting for you to move and do something to actually stop me, Scarlet!"

Her arms fought the best they could to hold back the evil wizard.

But he just kept on adding more strength to his push.

"I'll cut you down, defeat the trash behind you and then cut down that man to pieces beyond recognition." The armored wizard kept on pushing her back and back, until he noticed the change in her gravitational center and applied even more force. "Get out of my way!"

"Ngh!?" Erza had to suppress her cry of surprise when the enemy managed to win over her in the standstill, changing her falling movement in the air, as quickly as she could, to stand again and stop the man before he could even reach the three meters distance. She had to clench her teeth at having her arms exposed to the same pressure again, and all because of an attempt to stop him. "I won't… let you… pass!"

"That's not your decision."

Menas lowered his head for a moment and then looked up quickly.

"Axel Rave."

Faster than how it happened before, Erza was sent flying and Menas was allowed to continue his path, hot on his feet to dispose of the only person that was capable of holding back the shades made by the Master of Phantom Lord.

'W-what was that!?' The scarlet-haired woman thought in shock after the man rushed past her. 'H-he just pushed me away!?'

She was sure he didn't do anything else besides pushing forward to do the same trick as before.

Yet…

'Yet… why do I feel like he had slashed at me from all directions!?' That was her desperate thought to understand the situation at the same time she saw both her armor and weapons be shattered into a million pieces before her eyes. Even her body could feel it; she didn't know what technique or spell the man used but she just suffered a massive attack from all angles. 'What on Earth Land did he do!?'

"Oh shit… shit… shit, shit, shit, SHIT!" Issus cursed as he heard the advancement of their enemy behind his back and how the footsteps grew closer and closer. Like a time bomb that was about to explode and dismember him until there was no difference between him and a grain of sand. He closed his eyelids shut and waited for the first and last hit. "I knew this was a bad idea!"

Meanwhile…

(Theme change: Flying Ice Edge – Fairy Tail OST)

Sparks flying left and right, the melodic sound of a sword fight that has yet to reach its climax.

Yet, there was only one natural sword being used in this fight.

While the other side used something akin to chainsaws to skewer the enemy into submission.

"Fuckin' surrender, blondie! This stopped bein' funny a long time ago!" Vayne yelled to the top of her lungs as she continued to harass the Captain of the Council. Swinging her arms, turned into deadly chainsaws, and despite what she was saying, she was having the time of her life. Finally an opponent that could last her more than just a mere thirty minutes. "Why don't ya twist your ankle or something!?"

Francis parried a frontal strike to his chest and then swung to make one of his own, but the woman was just fast enough to keep up with him.

Or was it maybe that he was too tired to continue?

"Stop talking and actually put some effort in your strikes, scum!" The blond man was sure he reached his limit a long time ago, probably when their first big clash of the happened.

Minor flashback…

"Ice God's Temper of the Blizzard!"

The furry of snow and ice that went beside him as he charged stopped the woman a little.

Yet she was determined to be the victor of this third match.

"Iron Dragon's Iron Pole!" She called, turning her legs into poles of metal that elongated at her mental order and helped her in charging despite the oppressive strength of the blond man's spell. She glared at the blond man when they were close to each other. "I'm killin' you now, dickhead!"

"Shut up and die already!" The blond man replied with equal fervor, feeling a small shake of his hand when the edge of his sword met the tip of the drill.

He clicked his tongue.

And both attacks clashed.

Minor flashback end…

'I still haven't recovered from that attack.' He paid his right wrist a glance as he swung his blade down with the opposite arm and frowned. Even if he let it rest for since the damage was done, he could still feel it weakened. Unsuitable for the kind of battle he was having now. 'I cannot do anything now! Even if Nova gave us permission to…!'

A memory came to his mind.

Something he himself wanted to forget.

And after that.

He clicked his tongue, at the same time he parried another set of strikes to his person.

"I'll not repeat myself! Surrender now and stand back!" The mere memory of that thing sent shivers down his spine, a cold shiver that he shouldn't be able to feel due to his Ice God Slayer status, but he still felt it.

Because this didn't seem like something a normal human would do.

This was seriously something that only Gods would be capable of.

(Theme change: Gray's Magic "Ice Geyser" - Fairy Tail OST~)

"Are you gettin' afraid of me, blondie!?" Vayne teased as she continued her deadly slashes and stabs, advancing without a single thought holding her back. Victory was at hand, she could feel it. She could see it; from the corner of her eyes, she saw Menas defeating the knight of Fairy Tail and running to end the man protecting the weaklings of the guild. "Don't worry! I'll make this quick!"

Victory was at hand.

"Ice God's Valhallian Secret-"

But Francis stood his line when the last slash came his way and muttered a few words.

Holding his sword upside down with the blade, all the way to the middle, buried in the ground.

"-Arctic Dungeon."

"What-!?"

The black-haired woman's questioning was left hanging in the air, for when she wanted to realize, there was a thick carapace of crystal clear ice surrounding her form. Enveloping her from all sides and growing thicker by the second.

She could still move her eyes from behind that wall and they caught sight of her opponent's form.

Whispering words she could not hear.

At the same time a terrible and chilly magic power was released from him and sent towards her to strengthen her prison.

"I am sorry for this, Skadi." Francis whispered his sincere apology to the blizzard that enveloped him and looked ahead, seeing his enemy immobile inside the prison of ice he himself created with his power. This was the only spell from his mentor that he regretted learning. "But I guess I had no choice."

(Theme ends here~)

Standing up with his hand withdrawing the sword from the ground.

He turned around and sheathed it for the day, feeling himself spent after such attack.

And because he didn't want to see the face of his opponent in this state.

"Sleep for a thousand years, Envidia."

His words said, he left his legs surrender and fall to the ground.

His breathing was shallow, barely in shape to continue any fighting, and let's not make mention of his magic reserves at the time.

But when he raise his head to see what was the situation with the others, with Issus, Menas and the members of Fairy Tail.

His eyes widened.

(Theme: Invoke Magic – Fairy Tail OST)

Fire was coming from the center of the defensive ring of Fairy Tail wizards.

And Menas laid panting a few feet away, holding his scorched chestplate with one hand.

In the middle, next to the shocked Issus.

"Uh? What's the matter, Ripper?" Natsu asked cockily to the armored wizard that almost took down the last defensive line from Fairy Tail, standing in the middle of a small crater he made upon his landing. His posture was firm, his fists were set ablaze, and a feral grin adorned his face at the same time the fire surrounding him made his clothes sway from one side to the other threateningly. "Are you scared of the fire?"

He raised his fist to be a head-level and his grin widened.

"Don't worry, it'll be as quick as a spark."

(Theme ends here~)

To be continued.

*Kaz fangirls*

The next time, I'll send you down to Trap Town and let the whatever-they-are do what they want with you, old man. - Jage

And if we're saying these things, it means Kuro finally stopped ogling Mitsuru and chose to write again. Isn't he the sharpest tool in the shed? - Yoh Doosh

That's right! (Except for the ogling part! I didn't ogle too much... but still... those curves~!) Anyway, let's see if we can continue this. I had enough time not just to reorganize my Real Life situation but to think about many things regarding this story. I want it to be grand, more than canon! Shit, wait, I already said that before. Okay. I want it to be the very best within this archive! Would you lend me your strength and help me in accomplishing such a feat? If you don't, I don't mind, I can always take another two months to update. *grins* Whatever. See you around. - Kuro