A/N: FINALLY an update.

Sorry it took so long, honestly I've been sitting on this chapter for a few weeks but was just too lazy to edit it.

Anyways, I'm back.

So a few things happened since my last update I won't ramble to much so don't worry; that will happen at the end of the chapter.

1. Game of Thrones is fucking awesome. Just started watching it a few months ago and damn. Arya's my girl too. She's straight brutal.

2. Thank goodness Tokyo Ghoul has a sequel. I was freaking devastated when I thought Kaneki died. And Sasaki really pulls off the black and white hair, which I think is getting whiter. I could be nothing but I think it's intentional. But damn Kaneki/Sasaki is a sad character. Even with his memories forgotten he's still just a kid looking for a family.

3. Digimon, the original series, is getting a freaking sequel. I'm honestly surprised by how excited I am. The last Digimon I watched was the one where they used spirits to transform and something about codes I think. I thought I was done with it but damnit I want to see Tai. Although I never liked how Matt ended up with Sora. I ship Tai and Sora personally.

Anyways, that's it for now, enjoy the chapter.

"Hey, what's wrong, kid?"

"N-Nothing."

(Boom!)

(Boom!)

"Oh. Hehe. You scared of thunder?"

"N-No! . . . . I'm not scared."

"That's right you're not scared. You know why?"

" . . . Why?"

"Cause big brother Natsu will protect you!"

"R-Really?"

"Yup! You can always count on me!"

Kagura Mikazuchi wasn't the most outgoing person.

She was quiet, stoic, and kept anything personal strictly to herself.

She rarely let people see what was under that stoic demeanor of hers.

She didn't have many people she could call friends.

She didn't have anyone she could say she truly respected, let alone love.

No, she didn't have anyone like that.

Except for Erza-sama and Natsu-sama that is.

Those two were a different story.

Kagura respected them like one would respect their heroes.

Kagura loved them like a child would love their brother and sister.

There wasn't anything she wouldn't do for them.

If they wanted her to tell them her deepest, darkest secret, she would.

If they wanted her to face off against a dragon, a being of overwhelming power, she would.

Her love and respect for them was endless.

So, when someone, anyone, insulted them, or hurt them in any way, her wrath would hold no bounds.

That was why the prison cafeteria that Kagura was fighting the "viking" in was filling with killing intent and blood lust at an insane rate.

She could still hear the man's words echoing through her mind.

"You're a far more fitting opponent then that pathetic Salamander."

Pathetic.

Those disrespectful words would not go without retribution.

That was why she was so furious.

That was why one moment she was standing on the other side of the cafeteria and the next her foot was planting itself into the ground right in front of the "viking" with so much force that the slab of stone broke under her power.

'What monstrous speed.'

The "viking" couldn't help but be taken by surprise.

She was all the way across the room, then, he blinked and she was right in front of him with death in her eyes ready to strike.

He had to move.

With no time to raise his hammer, the "viking" did the only thing he could do. He leaned back just enough and focused his magic to his feet while pushing himself backwards. He saw the sword flash in an instant as he jumped back a few feet.

Did he manage to dodge it?

He could've sworn he hadn't moved away quick enough, but looking down at his bare chest he could see no wound.

'I guess I should count my bless-'

He didn't dodge it.

That was made obvious when a second later blood was spraying out long gash across his chest.

"W-What?!" falling to a knee, the "viking" brought his hand up to his chest in utter confusion.

Indeed, he did not dodge the lightning fast strike. Well, in a sense he did seeing as he was still in one piece, but he was definitely wounded. The strike was so fast that it simply took a few seconds for the effect to set in.

Her speed was truly remarkable.

Kagura didn't waste time admiring her work, in fact, it was quite the opposite.

'Tch. I missed.' not giving the "viking" time to recover, Kagura was on him for a second strike.

Appearing before him once again in a flash with archenemy raised high in the air, Kagura forced the "viking" to counter the best he could by slamming his hammer onto the ground. It didn't work as well as last time as Kagura slashed through the debris, forcing the "viking" to jump to the side.

A second later blood was spraying from his right arm.

Once again her strike was too quick.

Unfortunately for Kagura, her super human speed took its toll on her body. Even for someone like her who specialized in speed, her two strikes came at a price. She couldn't use magic to strengthen her body from the stress because for such speed she needed to compress and build up the magic within her before letting it burst forward in a flash. That allowed her such incredible, even by her standards, speed but also kept her from reinforcing her body.

From a rough estimation she could probably pull that move off two maybe three more before it was too much on her body.

She would need to be more precise when she used those bursts of speed.

She also should come up with a name for it but that was a matter for another time.

Feeling her muscles relax from her last strike, Kagura faced her opponent once again.

She had every intention to take his life despite the lesson Erza-sama taught her. She would keep the reason for his death away from Natsu-sama to keep him from feeling any guilt.

Hopefully he wouldn't ask.

The idea of lying to him made her sick, but if need be it would be done.

This man needed to pay.

Change was a hard thing.

To change the fundamental values one lived their life by was like admitting everything you had done your entire live and the reasons behind it were wrong.

It was excruciating hard.

Every thought process, every instinct, every moral had to be done over again. Sometimes, Knightwalker looked back and wondered how the hell had she of all people changed.

The answer came in the form of two people.

The first, was her own counterpart Scarlet, who planted the seed that maybe one didn't need to be a cold hearted bitch to be strong.

The second, was Natsu.

Her Natsu.

Her love.

He made her want to change so she could be worthy enough to be beside him.

It was the best decision she had ever made.

Unfortunately, it led to her greatest pain.

After that incident, Knightwalker was tempted to going back to the way she used to be.

It may have been a less happy life but it was also a less painful one. She contemplated that thought for a while before throwing it away for the simple fact that she would be disrespecting Natsu's memory. Too throw away her new found self, she would need to throw away her feelings and memories of him.

That was something she couldn't do no matter what pain she was bearing.

She resolved to stick through the pain.

Of course, there were setbacks and darker thoughts but his memory kept her going.

Eventually, she went to Earthland and began to make a new family with Scarlet, her (Scarlet's) Natsu, and their adopted daughter Hisako. With those three, she slowly felt the pain lessen.

It didn't go away though.

It never would.

But, along with the pain decreasing, Knightwalker stepped further away from the Fairy Hunter she once was. Her Ten Commandments was brought with her from Edolas, but Knightwalker had no intention of ever using that weapon.

She held a deep seed of fear towards that weapon.

That spear was the embodiment of what she once was.

Who she once was.

The Fairy Hunter.

So much blood soaked that spear, she still wondered what her Natsu saw in her.

How did he not bear any disgust or hatred for her?

The answer Knightwalker came to was that he was simply a better person then she could ever be.

But his ability to look passed her past wasn't something she could duplicate, especially if she used that spear again. The threat of becoming the killer she was once was, was something she didn't want to risk.

Who knew what would happen if she used that spear.

Would the power it held be too tempting?

The feeling of crushing opponents under her power was something that she once enjoyed so much that it made her sick just thinking about it. She would leave nothing but corpses in her wake without giving them a second thought.

The rush that battle gave her was almost addicting.

Could she really have gotten rid of those urges, or perhaps she simply buried them deep down?

Without her Natsu around could her urges resurface?

Would Scarlet and Natsu be able to keep her in line?

Of course, that was just one of her fears.

There was also the possibility that she could kill from simple muscle memory. Yes her fear didn't need to have some psychological meaning behind it. Her familiarity with that spear could cause her to react in the middle of a battle with an action that could prove fatal.

Such a reaction wouldn't be something she thought about, it would be something that happened in the heat of the moment. Thus, Scarlet and Natsu couldn't even get the chance to intervene like they could if she was simply reverting back to her old ways.

The Fairy Hunter struck like lightning when she went for the kill.

If Knightwalker were to accidentally kill on reflex, neither Scarlet nor Natsu would be able to stop her in time.

They probably wouldn't even be able to see the killing blow coming until it was already dealt.

Just another fear she had lingering in her once hardened heart.

But, still, Knightwalker wasn't one to let fear rule her. She knew she had to come to terms with her fears and wield Ten Commandments with the power and grace that only she could manage.

She had a long road ahead of her.

Sparks flew through the air as Archenemy clashed against the "viking's" hammer again and again. While Kagura had the natural speed advantage, the "viking" compensated with his magic and power. Using his impact magic, the "viking" was able to make his attacks impact harder when they struck Archenemy. That meant that even though Kagura's swings were faster, it took her more time to recover from the recoil that occurred when their weapons clashed.

Of course Kagura's own strength and firm stance kept her from having her defense broken and leaving her vulnerable.

All in all, they were at a stalemate; Kagura's speed against the "viking's" strength.

He had managed to close the distance and kept her from truly using her speed by engaging in constant clash of weapons.

That had to change.

She had to break away from the constant clashing and try something else.

With that in mind, Kagura ducked under the right to left horizontal swing of the hammer instead of meeting it with Archenemy.

In a lowered stance with Archenemy tucked at her side, Kagura swung at the "viking's" midsection in an attempt to bisect him. It never hit as the "viking" swung his knee up and hit the sword on its side, diverting it up and causing her to break her stance.

An incredible counter.

Not wasting time, the "viking" swung his hammer towards the side of the unbalanced Kagura's head, only for her to fall backwards into a back roll, dodging the blow. As she came out of the roll, Kagura planted her feet into the ground and lunged forward with archenemy in an attempt to stab the "viking" through his stomach. While she inflicted some damage, Kagura didn't land the strike she wanted due to the "viking" twisting his body.

Her sword cut into his side but it wasn't a fatal wound.

She was wide open now.

When Kagura lunged, she pushed off with enough force to take her feet from the ground, now leaving her in the air, too high for her feet to touch the ground. Seeing his opening as Kagura passed by him, the "viking" brought up his hammer and quickly brought it down on her.

Only for Kagura to slam the tip of Archenemy into the ground, digging into the floor and slowing her down, before she pushed off it to the side. She felt the swooshing of the wind just inches from her side as she soared away from the "viking", indicating how close she was from taking a brutal blow.

Once again digging her feet into the ground as she landed, Kagura jumped forward (of course she learned her lesson and kept herself just inches from the ground) and made a swing at the "viking's" arms as the hammer was stuck in the ground from his previous attack.

The attack struck but he managed to cloak his arms with enough magic to keep the strike from taking his arms; the cuts on each arm was mild at best. Before Kagura could unleash another swing or fall back, she was kneed in the stomach. The blow sent a wave of pain, similar to the one she felt when he clotheslined her earlier, through her body. With the "viking's" Impact Magic strengthening the attack, Kagura was sent flying upwards.

Blood and saliva escaped her mouth with a painful gasp, as she was sent through the ceiling and into the room above the cafeteria. Gaining her bearings at the apex of her flight, Kagura pushed off a rather large piece of debris with her foot and landed on the floor instead of falling back through the hole.

No doubt he was waiting for her if she did fall through.

Kneeling down, Kagura tenderly touched her stomach causing her to wince in pain.

The after effect of the blow was painful.

It felt like his knee was still planted in her stomach.

She coughed up more blood.

She had the speed advantage, yet her strikes were weakened by the "viking" using his magic to guard against them, and his felt like she was being hit by a train.

Kagura needed more power in her attacks.

She needed to up the ante.

With that in mind, Kagura closed her eyes and began reaching deep into the well of magic inside of her she needed to finish the fight.

As her magic level rose a purple aura radiated from her, indicating the power she was summoning.

A second later her eyes snapped open before she jumped back, just in time to avoid a shock wave that tore through the floor. She had no time to rest as dozens upon dozens of more shock waves tore through floor, forcing her to bounce around the room.

'He's not aiming at me. He plans to destroy the entire floor.'

Not surprising really.

In fact, once the entire floor came crashing down in pieces, Kagura would be given an opening she could use.

A few moments later, the floor came crumbling down.

With Archenemy tucked by her hip, Kagura waited on a large piece of debris as she focused her eyes on all the other pieces.

What she was doing was quite simple.

She was plotting her course.

Once she found it, she was moving like a blur.

Leaping at a downward angle to her right, Kagura tucked into a ball and flipped through a small opening in between a number of pieces of the broken floor. Coming out of the ball, she smashed another one with a axe kick before jumping off another one. Flying through the air at an upward angle this time to her left, Kagura twisted her body and dodged another piece of debris before using yet another as a stepping stone and zooming forward.

Her goal was to use the falling debris and dust to cover her movement while she closed in on the "viking" from behind.

As her feet landed softly against the wall behind the "viking", Kagura prepared herself for yet another burst of speed. She had two, three if she was lucky, of those left in her so she had to make it count.

Letting the built up magic within her burst, Kagura appeared right behind her opponent in a flash.

He had no time to react.

Her trip from the start took less than two seconds.

He never saw her moving through the falling ruble.

Her speed, the dust, and the ruble provided the perfect cover.

He was hers.

The look in her eyes screamed her intentions.

She wanted to cut him in half.

Her muscles tensed and her magic surged, and then-

She whipped around to block what seemed to be a big, black spinning ball.

'Who-' gritting her teeth, Kagura held her sword steady as sparks flew from the unexpected sneak attack.

She had to move fast.

She could already feel the "viking" swinging his hammer at her from behind while she was occupied.

With a grunt, Kagura bent her knees to get more leverage and directed the spinning ball upwards and past her before she ducked, dodging the horizontal hammer swing from the "viking".

Immediately after she jumped away to reassess the situation.

She watched as the ball flew towards the wall on the far side of the cafeteria before it revealed itself to be a person who was curled into himself. His feet landed against the wall before jumping off and coming towards the "viking".

"I was wondering what took you so long? Looks like you were having some fun."

The man looked rather young and wore a skintight black suit. His hair was similar to Gajeel Redfox's, long, black and bushy. His stature was rather small, dwarfed while he stood by the "viking", more than likely being five and a half feet. But, what really caught her attention was the way he stood. He was in a semi crouched position, his arms hanging to the side, that made it seem like he was born to be able to curl up into a ball.

That was strange.

The human body wasn't designed that way.

He didn't even look like he could stand up straight.

Perhaps . . .

Her eyes immediately narrowed at the claws that his hands wielded.

They were long and looked like they were made of . . . bone.

Realization struck Kagura a moment later.

A look of disgust crossed her face

His fingers seemed to morph into claws halfway through, splitting the skin, going at least half a foot.

She had never seen that type of magic before.

Perhaps, that was why his bone structure seemed so strange.

Magic that could manipulate the human body in such a manner?

It seemed different then Take Over Magic.

Different and . . . wrong.

She'd have to be on her toes for everything.

"I wouldn't call it fun, Master."

'So, he's his master.'

That didn't bode particularly well for Kagura.

That man she had been fighting until now was easily an S-class wizard in his own right, but now his master was here.

She was in for a fight.

"Really?" "master" questioned as he surveyed the surroundings, taking in the cafeteria and its destruction. "Looks like fun to me."

Debris was everywhere.

Whether it was from the the walls of the room or the ceiling itself, the room was a mess.

Of course, all that paled to the corpses that were littered around as well.

The scene brought back memories.

She couldn't help the grimace that crossed her face.

They were just like that man.

Monsters.

Monsters that took life without remorse.

No, even worse, they did it with pleasure.

She had to take them down.

But, before that . . .

"You." Kagura spoke up as she pointed Archenemy at the newcomer. "You're this man's master?" tilting his head to the side in his crouched position, the newcomer answered her question.

"Yeah, and I'm damn proud of him. I mean, look at all the fun he had." with his response the "master" gestured his hand towards the bodies that were once living and breathing people.

People with homes, families, and dreams all dead and gone.

Lovers and children waiting at home for their return would never see their loved ones walk through their door ever again.

That was what he considered fun.

He made her sick.

He wasn't human.

Simply a monster under human skin.

He deserved to die just as much as the "viking".

But . . .

"Are you a member of Laughing Coffin?" because if he was then she couldn't kill him.

He would be the first chance at any information about the group. As far as Kagura knew Laughing Coffin was all but in the shadows with no confirmed information about them. In fact, some wizards, didn't even believe they existed at all. But those that have heard stories of the Dark Guild shivered at their brutality.

They were dangerous.

They were dangerous and were practically ghosts.

With no information about the dark guild it was nearly impossible to track them down. The only way to encounter them was simple luck or rather misfortune.

(Miles away a two year old spiky-haired boy sneezed.)

In short, the monster was too valuable to kill or to let get away.

Kagura needed to capture him so he could be questioned.

Easier said then done no doubt.

Her musings were broken when she received her answer in the form of a smirk.

In all honestly Kagura didn't expect to receive an answer but it didn't hurt to try.

Dark wizards tended to run their mouth's so she took a shot.

But despite his response, Kagura's gut was telling her he was a member of Laughing Coffin, and she would proceed as so.

Kill the "viking".

Beat down and capture the "master".

Two birds one stone.

She would hand out punishment for the "viking's" disrespect towards Natsu-sama, and would aid them in their search by capturing the "master".

With that in mind, Kagura narrowed her eyes, readied her sword, and prepared for battle.

The smirk on the "master's" face only grow at her actions as he brought his disgusting claws up.

For the next few seconds complete silence filled the cafeteria as the three wizards readied themselves for a fight.

Oh, what a fight it would be.

The first to move was the "master".

With great speed, he charged forward but Kagura didn't meet him head on. Instead, she leapt backwards, creating as much distance between herself and the "viking" as possible.

The best way to fight multiple opponents was to fight them together as little as possible.

So, she hoped to draw away the "master" from the "viking".

As Kagura expected from the small man, he was dangerously fast. In an instant he was in her face swinging his claws with the intent to kill. None hit as Kagura blocked the swift strikes with perfect precision, causing sparks to dance from every contact.

A swing at her eyes.

Blocked.

A stab at her midsection.

Swept to the side.

An upward swing towards her throat.

Back stepped.

A few seconds of not landing an attack, the "master" threw a roundhouse kick towards her midsection. Hopping back a few feet to avoid the kick, Kagura felt five sharp streaks of pain rip across her stomach.

'What? But I dodged-' her shock was quelled when her eyes landed on the foot that struck her. 'So, he can grow those claws out of his feet as well.' true to Kagura's thoughts the "master's" foot was a claw like the ones that were his hands.

The only difference was the fact that the dark wizard returned his foot to its normal state instead of keeping it as a claw like his hands. That made sense seeing as his mobility would be cut down if he kept his feet as claws; no doubt that would make moving awkward.

'I wonder what else he has up his sleeve. I'll need to be careful of this one.' Kagura had no more time to muse as the "master" circled around her.

Halfway through making a complete circle around her, the "master" sent a clawed roundhouse kick to the side of her head which Kagura blocked with Archenemy. Immediately after the block the "master" swung a hand at the other side of her head, hoping to catch her off guard. With her sword occupied, Kagura swung her free hand and blocked the attack at the forearm.

"Tch." the "master" quickly flipped backward while lashing out his other clawed foot right at her chin but was dodged, Kagura leaning back just enough to avoid the attack by inches.

She would've pressed the retreating dark wizard if she didn't have to spin around and raise Archenemy over her head just in time to keep the "viking's" hammer from smashing down on her.

The power of the blow was massive.

Kagura could feel the force travel from the sword, to her arms, through her body, down her legs, and to the ground. Most wizards would've been crushed from the powerful strike but not Kagura.

While speed was her specialty, Kagura was without a doubt powerful as well.

Her arms and legs held firm, not giving way in the slightest.

They didn't quiver or lose ground when she blocked the hammer.

The ground beneath her didn't hold out as well.

That was obvious by how she was now standing in a ten foot wide crater.

Kagura knew the stalemate had to end, she was to vulnerable in her position.

Tilting archenemy to one side, the "viking's" hammer scraped down the sheath before sliding completely off. The exact moment the hammer came off her sword, Kagura spun and delivered an elbow to the "viking's" left tricep before quickly following up with a roundhouse kick to his ribs.

With her one grounded foot, Kagura jumped backwards, just barely dodging a clawed swipe at her head from the other dark wizard that flanked from the side.

'They're surprisingly good at working together.' that was rather surprising and concerning.

Most, if not all, dark wizards that joined dark guilds did so because there was power in numbers, and their chances of being taken in by Rune Knights dwindled by doing so. But none of them truly learned how to work together in a fight. They either ganged up without any real thought of attack besides mindless assaults, or they simply divided their enemies and fought them individually. While Kagura had nothing against an honorable duel between two combatants, there were times where the consequences of losing a battle were too great and teamwork was necessary.

Dark Wizards almost never understood the importance of working with their comrades.

But not these two.

Just from the last minute alone Kagura could tell they had great team work.

That made them even more dangerous.

Two S-Class level wizards fighting in sync?

Kagura definitely had her work cut out for her.

But despite the overwhelming odds, she did not falter nor contemplate running away.

The thought never crossed her mind.

The man that insulted someone very close to her heart, that would not go without repercussions.

It was as simple as that.

That simple fact was enough.

But the fact that one of the wizards that attacked Natsu-sama and Erza-sama the previous night was right in front of her (she had gotten a description about the wizards when she was briefed earlier) was nothing more than an added incentive.

In short, this was a fight she would not back down from.

The odds be damned.

With Archenemy in her tight grip, Kagura took a kendo stance, a steady breath escaping her lips.

She was ready.

And they came.

With his incredible speed, the "master" was in front of her swinging his claws directly at her head. Forced to backpedal, Kagura deflected his strikes before she jumped to the side just in time to dodge the "viking" who jumped in the air and struck from above.

Skidding to a stop, Kagura brought up her arm to block the dust and debris that was sent flying in all directions from the hammer strike. A moment later she was a blur as she spun around and blocked the "master" who had came from above as well and swung both claws at her face.

Seeing an opening, the master snapped his foot forward, intent on having his foot claw cutting into her face. The strike never landed as Kagura pushed off the ground and sent herself flying backwards, right towards a waiting "viking". Before she could get within striking range, Kagura jumped off the ground, flew over his head and sent multiple shock-wave strikes at the dark wizard.

They were all blocked by the "viking's" War Hammer.

All except the one that struck the ground in front of him, kicking up a cloud of dust that blocked his view. Not wanting to waste any time, the moment her foot touched the ground it cracked from the force she put into her lunge. As she closed in on her target, the "master" came sprinting out of the dust cloud, heading right at her.

As the distance between them lessened, the "master" jumped forward and swung a clawed roundhouse kick right at Kagura's head. It missed as she slid on her knees and continued towards her main target. As she passed by the still blinded "viking", Kagura spun on her knees and used the momentum to strike the large Dark Wizard at the back of his thick leg.

Smirking at the pain induced scream she caused, Kagura, who was still sliding on her knees, tucked her shoulder into her body and rolled. As she finished the roll, the Mermaid Heel Wizard jumped away just in time to avoid a claw that stabbed clean through the floor. Pulling his claw from the ground, "master" swung his claws rapidly sending crescent attacks right at Kagura.

She couldn't help but notice that the "master's" attack was NOT the same as the shock-wave attacks herself and the "viking" were using.

'He uses Wind Magic as well?'

Hopefully he didn't use a third form of magic.

Strengthening her grip on Archenemy, Kagura ducked and weaved through the first five strikes before swinging her sword down on the last. She could've dodged the last one, although not many others could due to their immense speed, but she wanted to test if the attack was strong as it was fast.

And indeed it was.

Instead of cleaving right through it, the crescent wind met Archenemy in a stalemate.

With a grunt, Kagura exerted just a bit more effort and split the attack in two.

Not taking her eyes off of the advancing Dark Wizards, she could hear the walls behind her being cut right into, more than likely like butter.

She would need to avoid any contact with those wind blades.

With that thought in mind, Kagura once again readied herself for a tough encounter.

Having a broken foot sucked.

Like really really sucked.

He already hated walking with crutches.

There was no way Natsu could kick any ass if he couldn't even kick.

Damn that "viking" bastard.

Next time Natsu saw him he would definitely pay him back.

"Come on, papa! You're too slow!"

But until Wendy got back to heal his foot, Natsu was stuck with his adopted daughter.

Well, he couldn't really complain about that.

"Hey, I got one good foot here. Cut me some slack."

Stopping in her tracks, the black-haired, blue-eyed girl turned towards her papa and tilted her head in confusion.

"What's slack?"

Natsu stopped a second later.

" . . . . No clue."

Hearing her papa's answer, Hisako let out a giggle.

"You're silly, papa."

"No, I'm awesome." with a cheeky smile, Natsu continued towards their home, prompting Hisako to follow besides him.

"What about me?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"Am I awesome too?"

Raising his eyebrow, Natsu put a hand to his chin in a mock thoughtful pose.

"Well," he had to hold back his chuckle when he saw Hisako puff out her cheeks over how long it was taking to answer, "you're my daughter, so heck yeah!"

The biggest smile exploded onto her face at his response.

"Yes!"

Honestly, Natsu never thought something else besides Erza, Igneel, Fairy Tail, eating fire, and fighting could make him so happy. But just seeing Hisako smile just . . . made him so happy. She was like a small Sun that warmed his heart.

Now normally Natsu wasn't so mushy feely like that, but . . . . that was the only way he could describe her. He couldn't help but wonder if that's how he made Erza feel since he remembered her calling him a ball of sunshine a few times.

The fact that she wasn't his actual daughter meant nothing to him. Hell, the moment he laid eyes on her in that hotel room she snuck into he immediately fell in love, none romantic love, with her.

Maybe it was a dragon thing or maybe it was something else. But what Natsu knew for sure was that he wanted to protect her just like he wanted to protect Erza. It really surprised him how he felt like that but he guessed that's what fatherhood did to a guy.

'Heh. I wonder what Igneel would think about this.' with a smile on his face, Natsu turned his face to the sky.

He could practically see his father flying through the air, letting out a mighty roar that shook the ground under him.

"One day Igneel." his voice came out as a mumble, too quiet for the curious Hisako to make out. "One day I'll show you my family."

"Papa?"

Breaking from his daze, Natsu smiled at his confused daughter.

"Hey, you wanna train a little bit?"

"Yeah! I wanna strong like mama and papa!"

"Alright, let's hurry up and get home then."

The impact of the "viking's" hammer was immense.

It would've undoubtedly killed a wizard who was below S-Class level.

Luckily for Kagura she was an S-Class Wizard and was quick to block the blow to her chest with her sword. But still the force behind the hammer sent her sliding across the floor, her feet digging into the ground tearing it up until she stopped.

She had no time to rest as the other Dark Wizard came flying at her from above spinning rapidly like a ball. Hopping to the side to dodge wasn't enough as the second the "master" hit the ground, ripping it to shreds, he rolled forward and curved right back at her. She was forced to whip around and raise Archenemy to block the ball of a Dark Wizard.

Her teeth gnashed together as Archenemy and the spinning Dark Wizard sent sparks flying as they pushed to gain dominance over the other.

With her sword occupied, Kagura's mind was racing.

Where was the "viking"?

There was no way he would let such an opening go free.

So where would he attack from?

She would only have a split second to disengage herself from the "master" and avoid the "viking's" attack.

That split second came as she felt the "viking" appear at her five o'clock, his war hammer no doubt poised to smash into her.

Before that could happen Kagura, reluctantly, used her Gravity Magic to alter the "master's" path to her right, freeing herself to twist her body and raise Archenemy just in time to block a wide swing at her head.

Wasting no time, Kagura attempted to drive her knee into his stomach, only for the "viking" to use his free hand to catch it. She had to hold back a wince as she felt his hand tighten around her knee before the Dark Wizard swung her above his head and slammed her into the ground.

A gasp of pain escaped her lips when she felt her face smash straight into the ground. The "viking" gave her no time to recover, swinging her once again. The ringing in Kagura's head increased tenfold as the back of her head proved how fragile a stone floor could be.

"Master!" spinning around multiple times to gain momentum, the "viking" threw Kagura with all his strength, which was immense, at the other dark wizard who had just pulled himself from the hole in the wall he made when Kagura diverted his human ball attack.

Her teeth gritted as she was sent flying through the air and towards the "master".

She had to do something and quick.

No doubt the "master" would have a nasty and painful attack waiting for her.

But she was spinning so wildly through the air, the room nothing but a blur to her, it was nearly impossible for her to adjust.

"Haha! You're mine girl!"

But she wasn't his.

As the "master" pulled his clawed hand back in preparation to cut Kagura in half, a purple magic circle appeared above her causing gravity to increase on her person. But there was more to it than that, there had to be. Kagura had the gravity on one side increase more than the other so instead of landing on her back, leaving her vulnerable still, her body rotated. That allowed her to land on her feet as the momentum of the "viking's" throw still kept her sliding and spinning towards the "master".

A split second later, Kagura was sliding past the "master", both of their stances clearly showing they had both struck as they came within reach.

A moment passed before blood sprayed from their torso's.

A true testament to the speed of their attacks.

"Damn, you ARE fun."

Kagura didn't respond to the "master's" gleeful words, she simply grunted through the burning pain on her body. Glancing down she saw that the Dark Wizard had managed to strike her with three of his claws. Of course that was on top of the "viking" slamming her into the ground twice.

Her body was still ringing from that, and her appearance showed it. Her clothes were ripped, blood coated her torso, and leaked from her mouth. If Kagura had been a lesser wizard she would've been taken down a long time ago, but her body held strong.

This was not a fight she would lose.

The young woman simply refused.

But to attain victory she needed to stop being on the defensive and take the offensive, and seeing as there was a good amount a space between the two dark wizards, now was a good as a time as any.

"Hell, you're barely using your-" Kagura gave the "master" no time to finish his sentence before she rushed in and slashed from his shoulder towards his hip.

The attack missed as the Dark Wizard stepped back just in time but Kagura used the momentum of the swing to spin as she simultaneously crouched down in an attempt to take the "master's" knees away from the rest of him. That too was avoided as he jumped above the slash and flipped forward, his clawed feet arching down at her head.

Raising Archenemy in a horizontal manner, Kagura blocked the attack and pushed up. The Dark Wizard used the momentum of the push to flip backwards intent on striking with his feet yet again only for a palm to slam into his back halfway through his flip. Air and spit escaped his gasping lips as he was sent flying across the wrecked cafeteria and through another wall.

Yet again.

Ignoring the "viking's" angry scream, Kagura placed Archenemy by her hip in a draw position and readied herself as the "viking" dashed towards her.

Once she deemed him close enough, the Mermaid Heel Wizard swung her weapon.

But she didn't swing at the "viking".

No, her target was the ground; her strike created a wall of dust stopping the "viking" in his tracks.

She didn't stop there.

Using her speed, Kagura circled around the halted Dark Wizard slashing the ground, creating a dust cloud that engulfed the her opponent.

Now all she had to do was wait, and wait she did.

With her sword tucked at her hip, breath at a calm, and magic channeled into her legs she waited for her chance to strike.

She would only have a split second.

Plenty of time.

And just as Kagura was hoping for, the "viking" cleared the dust cloud by forcefully slamming his War Hammer onto the ground, the power behind the swing blowing the obstruction away.

With that opening, Kagura disappeared in a flash.

In a blink of an eye she was skidding to a stop a number of feet behind the "viking".

A second later the Dark Wizard was falling to his knees as a large gash across his massive chest spurted blood into the air. The "viking" had no time to react to Kagura's unbelievable speed, but just like before that burst of speed took its toll on her.

'I . . . I can probably do that two more times. I'll need to to be on my toes for another opening.' despite the pain that racked her body, she forced herself to stand.

The "master" should be back into the fight any second.

True to her thoughts the "master" shot out of the hole spinning like a ball madly through the air in an arc that would have him landing right on her. Gathering her strength and ignoring her pain, Kagura held her ground.

Most in her position would opt to avoid the attack, but Kagura couldn't afford to do that. While she had dealt a heavy blow to the "viking", she couldn't be certain he would stay down for long. She needed to go on the offensive and if she dodged his spinning attack she would spend too much time avoiding it over and over again.

With that in mind, Kagura once again placed her sword at her hip and waited until her moment to counter.

And counter she did.

But she didn't swing her sword in a slash. No instead she pivoted on her foot and slammed the tip of Archenemy into the only open place she could, the side of the spinning ball known as the "master".

A gasp of pain once again escaped the Dark Wizard's lips as he was sent soaring to the side, knocked out of his spin from the blow. Not wasting anytime Kagura immediately followed after the man. As she was closing the distance between the "master", said man began rotating his body with his arms outstretched. Before she knew it, what looked vaguely like "wheels" made of wind came rolling towards her, tearing the ground beneath them.

The "wheels" were large, their diameter being the length of the "master's" outstretched arms.

They looked similar to the crescent attacks from earlier but in a full circle and closely packed together, making the "wheel" a foot thick.

More followed the first "wheel" as they raced towards the still sprinting Kagura.

She would not let that stream of attacks stop her.

Although she couldn't help but wonder if the "master" came up with the attack on the spur of the moment, or if it was already in his arsenal.

If he did come up with the attack on the spot then that made him even more dangerous.

Not many wizards could create techniques in the middle of a battle.

Leaving that thought for later, Kagura planted her foot on the ground and diverted her angle to the left, dodging the first wheel but not slowing her movement.

From there on she continued that course of action.

Left.

Right.

Left.

Left.

Right.

The next pair of "wheels" forced her to turn her body and cartwheel in between them. She could feel and hear the "wheel's" cutting through the air from in front and behind her as she ever so closely, and athletically, dodged the pair.

Not for a second did she slow down.

Another "wheel" came forcing her to the left it was within that moment she realized she was trapped. A "wheel" was currently in her path and was accompanied by others to the left of it, cutting off her escape.

It was a well thought out trap by the "master". Forcing her in one direction and having more "wheels" waiting and cutting off any escape route.

All but one that is.

Planting her foot into the ground, Kagura jumped right into the "wheel" she had just dodged, or rather she jumped through the gap in the middle, curling her body into a ball, just barely avoiding the razor sharp wind.

"Fuck!"

Apparently the "master" hadn't anticipated such a maneuver judging by his cursing.

Uncurling from her ball Kagura immediately lunged forward with Archenemy striking forward like a lance, directed right at the "master's", who had just landed on his feet, chest. Said Dark Wizard just barely managed to raise a clawed hand and twist his body so that Kagura passed right by him. Digging her feet into the ground to immediately stop her momentum, Kagura spun around and swung her sword right at her opponent's head.

Raising his claws in an "x" to block the attack, the "master" was unprepared for the sidekick that was planted in his stomach and was once again sent flying across the room.

While the "master" was around the same level of speed as Kagura, the same could not be said for his strength.

It wasn't that surprising really.

After all not many wizards that excelled in speed also coupled that with such great strength.

Knowing she had the advantage at the moment, Kagura continued to press it as she dashed after the Dark Wizard, her sharp eyes honed in on her target. Movement in her peripherals forced Kagura's instincts to kick in and bring up Archenemy. The next thing she knew she was sent flying backwards from the force of the "viking's" hammer slamming into her sword.

Damn.

She couldn't afford to go on the defensive.

She had to counterattack before the "master" got enough time to recover.

Flipping backwards in the air, Kagura slid to a stop before sprinting straight at the waiting "viking". Archenemy met his hammer before she swung a kick at the dark wizards shin, a weakness in the human body that constantly overlooked.

"Agh!"

Despite his size, the powerful kick to the shin was enough to bring the massive man to a knee, allowing Kagura to swing at the man's chest. It was blocked by the "viking's" hammer but immediately the female wizard followed up by stomping her foot right on his chest.

Or more specifically on the large gash she had given him not too long ago.

Burning pain shot through the "viking's" wound as he was sent skidding across the ground, the pain making it impossible for him to resist the force of the stomp.

Kagura had no time continue her assault as she was once again forced to raise Archenemy to block another overhead strike from the "master". Seeing his attack didn't work, the Dark Wizard quickly brought his knees up to his chest and stabbed his clawed feet right at the female wizard's face. The attack missed as Kagura leaned backwards, the claws inches from her face, and swung her feet into the back of the "master".

He was sent up and away from her at an angle as he was once again sent soaring away from Kagura.

That wasn't just a coincidence.

She was intentionally using his small stature to send him away so he could deal with the "viking" before switching back.

She was walking on a tightrope but Kagura needed to keep those two on their toes' and away from each other.

But despite the rigorous task set before her, Kagura would win the fight.

No one crossed or dishonored those she cared about.

No one.

"Run, Hisako! Run like the wind!"

"But that's so fast." the winded girl moaned as she stared at her adopted father from his seat on their front porch.

"Haha. I was just joking." the young girl brightened at his words causing Natsu's smile to widen even further.

There was something about seeing her smile that was just so . . . . great.

That was the best way he could describe it.

"Alright." Natsu began. "One more lap around the house and you're done for the day."

"Right!" renewed with energy, Hisako took off around their home. "Like the wind!"

"Like the wind!" Natsu copied with a laugh. "I wonder how Erza's doing?" hopefully they haven't met that "viking" bastard because Natsu wanted to be one to take him down.

It was because of him he had to use those stupid crutches.

Bastard.

Natsu was distracted from his thoughts as Hisako came jogging from around the corner.

"Ha . . . Ha . . . Ha." coming to a stop, the young girl had her hands on her knees as she gasped for air.

"How ya doin', champ?" with a smirk on his face, Natsu question his exhausted daughter.

"T-Tired."

He couldn't blame her.

Before running around the house, which was pretty big if he did so say himself, she had done ten push ups, sit ups, jumping jacks, and squats.

She did a good job of pushing through her exhaustion though.

Natsu was pretty damn proud of her.

"Alright. Let's get you cleaned up now."

It wasn't just the thought of her training being over that brought a smile to Hisako's face but the the bath she was going to get. Living on the streets the young girl obviously had no real chance to bathe herself, so she had grown to love baths or any time of cleansing.

A like Natsu didn't share when he was her age.

He didn't share her ability to race those damn stairs either.

Fucking crutches.

Finally making it to the bathroom, Hisako had gotten her own clothes, Natsu turned on the bath as the little girl wiggled out of her garments.

Yes, Natsu knew how to give a kid a bath.

It really wasn't that different from giving a bath to Happy (where the hell was Happy?) like he used to when he was little.

A lot freakin' easier actually.

Hisako couldn't fly away or scratch his face.

Damn cat.

"Cold!" blinking owlishly, Natsu looked up to see Hisako shivering in the filling bath.

Looks like she couldn't wait.

'Man this kid loves baths.'

"Papa, help!"

"Right!" dipping his hand into the water, Natsu quickly began heating the bath.

He always had a habit of warming up his water by himself.

"Better?"

"Yup!" getting his answer, Natsu filled a cup full with water before dumping it onto Hisako's head.

For a few minutes they sat in silence as Natsu kneeled by the tub, making sure not to put any pressure on his foot, until Hisako spoke up.

"Soooo, what happened?" even though she was four year old girl, Hisako was more aware of things than most kids.

A certain amount of awareness was needed to survive on the streets after all, even more so for a child.

That's why when she asked her question, to fill her childish curiosity, she didn't speak in an excited manner like most kids would. Hisako could tell that it wasn't a subject to bring up smiling.

A sigh escaped her papa's lips.

"I got my butt kicked that's what."

For most kids the thought of their parents failing in something would be seen as impossible until they grew older and shed that naivety.

It was simply natural for a child to idolize their parents.

Hisako wasn't like most kids.

The struggles she had to live through had shredded her naive nature. Even if she could still match a normal child's joy she was not naive.

"That's ok, papa." with an encouraging smile on her face, the young girl patted her papa's head. "Just don't give up."

Natsu couldn't help but smile at his daughter's words.

"Ha! I never give up! I'll get that guy next time!"

"Yeah!"

Yeah, her papa looked the best when smiling.

A/N: So how was that chapter?

The parts with Natsu and Hisako was really so this chapter wouldn't be one giant fight scene. Couldn't think of anything else so you got some father daughter fluff. Hopefully you all liked it.

I was thinking of putting a song or BGM like a few fics I've read but I felt the writing of the fight wouldn't mesh well with the song, so probably next chapter.

Also I find myself really excited about the idea of writing the spinoff, or the other half, about Itachi. Sometimes I like the idea of it more than writing the original, this one. Oh well, it won't be for a long while until Itachi makes his appearance in this fic and for some time he'll be known as "weasel" and not Itachi. Some people don't like the idea of COC's (cross over characters) but it can't be helped. I'm pretty stuck on the idea of COC's so yeah.

Also I counted down Itachi's harem and it looks like he'll have 16 woman in there. And Itachi deserves every single one. I'll use the authors notes after this chapter to explain briefly each member of his harem. One a chapter of course. Also I'll run harem members that I'm still on the fence on.

This A/N: will be used to explain two COC's that will be on Hisako's team when she gets older. Asuka will also be on the team.

Ok the first COC is Raishin from Unbreakable Machine Doll, and yeah that includes Yaya. I ship them and she's adorable. Anyways, Raishin will probably join Fairy Tail around when he's 15, so that's a while from now. Honestly I'm stuck between either making her a spirit of some kind or an automaton like canon.

If I make her a spirit then I really don't need to do much but introduce them when the time comes. But if I make an automaton then I'll need to lay some ground work for the technology of automatons before I introduce them, you know? Have the idea of automatons be brought up and have them eventually become a common, or at least somewhat common, thing.

I'll probably stick with the automaton idea and I'm thinking of bringing in Loki and his sister, mostly because the way Raishin and Loki fight. They can be like the next generation Natsu and Gray. That and bringing them in helps expand the next generation of Fairy Tail wizards.

Ok, so the next OOC is Kamito Kazehaya. Let me say some things now: Kamito will have a harem (no Hisako or Asuka in the harem) Restia will be the main girl, and no Claire whatsoever in this fic.

I fucking hate her.

Now I want to keep things as canon as possible for Kamito's history but originally my past for him was different so I'm stuck on two different ideas.

1. Kamito lives in an orphanage along with others: Ellis, Fianna, Rinslet, and maybe even Rubia along with a few other. The orphanage is poor but Kamito meets Restia and they form a contract or whatever (the important thing is they stick together from that point on) and he goes around taking free lance requests for money, keeping the orphanage going. Eventually he goes to the magic games (which will be far more diverse and not just a team and guild tournament) and participates in a solo tournament for kids and non-guild members.

He'll be Ren Ashbell when he enters the tournament. The reason for that is because Kamito's in the magic games for the prize money and not to be recruited into a guild the others in his orphanage aren't wizards so he thinks if he joins a guild, the guild will only want him and he'll have to leave the orphanage and the others. So after he wins other guilds will end up looking for her (Ren Ashbell) to recruit but he'll already have changed. But Natsu tracks him down with his nose and Kamito eventually accepts their offer to join the guild since Natsu and the others promised him the others in his orphanage can go with him.

Fairy Tail almost acts like an orphanage anyways so why not.

And eventually the girls over the years discover their magic which will be canon.

That was my original idea.

But after reading more of the novel and learning about Kamito's past I came up with another "route", I guess, for him.

2. Ok this one will be largely canon to a certain point. So basically he's raised as an assassin by the Instructional School, meets Restia (the main girl), she gets sealed, and the school gets taken down. This is where things start changing. First I might have Natsu and Erza be the ones that bring down the school. Obviously if I used them they wouldn't be destroying but rather something more like a police raid on a drug bust. You know find the teachers take them down and rescue the kids. If I do that I'll probably have Kamito with the sealed Restia. Greyworth will basically be replaced by Natsu and Erza. Kamito tries to assassinate them for a job so he could free Restia but fails. Natsu and Erza being themselves help him free Restia and bring him into Fairy Tail.

This will also change how he meets the girls in his harem. Instead of orphans they'll be from Fiore's noble families. I figure as a member of Fairy Tail he could meet them for requests by their families. They'll be wizards but their abilities will be canon. So the spirits they form contracts with will be Astral Spirits (with the different types of spirits that should be in this fic I need to classify them as more than just "spirits") and being a Astral Spirit Wizard will have the whole pure maiden acquirement which will make it a rare magic.

Although not that powerful in the grand scheme of things.

Of course that'll still make Kamito rare for being a Astral Spirit Wizard despite being a boy.

Also if I go with the second idea, which I probably will, that does leave me open with an idea that came to mind.

Basically since Kamito doesn't become Ren Ashbell that leaves me an option of making her an actual character and adding her to Kamito's harem.

Or is that weird?

I guess it could be weird but come on. I hate saying it, really I do, but Ren Ashbell was moe as hell!

It cannot be denied!

But yeah so those are the COCs that'll eventually team up with Hisako and Asuka.

Ok enough of my rant, yes I know I went way to far, I'll end things right here.