Titania and The Hunter

Chapter 81: Voracity of the Gluttonous

Welcome to the birthday bash! A huge upload to celebrate the day!

Man, Fairy Tail finally comes back so this feels serendipitous!

########Hunter########

At the headquarters of the Magic Council, the attendants, and auditors of information regarding the guilds and magics of Fiore worked tirelessly while the dutiful Rune Knights acted as their will around the kingdom.

One amphibious envoy made his way through the halls, checking over the folder of information and details he was asked to collect. He hummed a jaunty tune while focused on his work but froze midstep as he felt like something was stalking him. He turned around and expected to find something following after him yet saw nothing but the empty hallway. With a shrug, the humanoid turned back around-

"Hi, Sydney."

"AAH-MMMGGH!" A hand snapped over his mouth before his scream could be heard as he was dragged around the corner to a different room. The panicking amphibian looked at his abductor and then blinked in confusion before the hand pulled away from his mouth, "C-Commander Senju?"

"Didn't mean to scare you, Sydney. My bad." Mahiro apologized, wearing a disarming smile as she stood in front of the nervous worker and nodded, "I just wanted to ask you a quick question."

"A-Apologies, Commander, but I have to get-"

"Oh, there's no rush." She grabbed his arm and pulled him back before he could scurry away. As Sydney started to cower and shake, Mahiro took a breath, "So I've been doing my job going around Fiore and trying to locate and apprehend Dark Guilds."

"A-And we all admire you for the work you do, ma'am."

"Thank you. I wish I could do more against the Balam Alliance but it feels like we can only react with them, not attack. A shame but it is what it is." Mahiro blew out a sharp breath of irritation, "But I'm not here to talk to you about Dark Guilds. No, I have a question about some of our soldiers."

"W-What question might that be?"

"Where are they?" Mahiro crossed her arms, "I noticed Lahar seems to have taken several squadrons with him, Doranbolt's been missing for a few weeks, and a battleship has been deployed from the Council's secure port. Sydney…" Her eyes narrowed, "What's going on?"

"M-Ma'am, I'm not sure what you're referring to-"

"My kids - they're sweet, a real cute couple - called me and told me they were heading out to sea for a few days as part of an annual tradition at the guild." Mahiro's nostrils flared for a moment as she took a breath, "Now I seriously doubt it's just coincidence that a battleship left while they're at sea, don't you?"

"I-I-"

"Sydney."

"There is currently an operation to undermine and expose secrets regarding the Fairy Tail guild in the hopes of getting them disbanded! Please don't hurt me!"

As the amphibious man cowered in fear, Mahiro sighed and patted him on the shoulder before walking away. Her face hardened into a livid expression as she reached into her satchel and removed an item.

A small Lacrima with the Fairy Tail insignia inside it.

"Hello, can anyone hear me?" Mahiro spoke into the Lacrima as she hid away in a corner of the hall where she wouldn't be found, "This is Mahiro. Can anyone respond?"

("Mahiro? What are you doing?")

"Macao, Master, and the others have already left for the S-Class Exam, right?"

("Yeah, I'm not sure how far along they are at the moment but-")

"Can you contact them?"

("Uh, that depends if Master is anywhere near a Lacrima. He keeps one on the ship but I can't be sure.")

"Just make the call. You have to warn them that something is heading after everyone at sea."

########Hunter########

"What's he going to do to her? He could do anything to her! She's at his mercy! He said he was a member of the Magic Council but would they do something to her? He said that they were coming to shut the guild down but would they try and hurt her to get the secrets of the guild? She doesn't even know the secrets! She-"

"Carla, calm down." The white Exceed was hysterical, and Lily quickly realized that trying to calm her nerves was a fruitless effort. As he dragged the two defeated Grimoire Heart members together in a pile his eyes landed on the katana in Yomazu's hand. He pried it out of his grip and gave it a swing, a little uncomfortable with the small length but figuring he would make due if another attack force was on the way, "That spy tricked us but I don't think he was aiming to hurt Wendy."

"How can you be sure?!"

"Because he made sure that Wendy was protected and out of the way of these two and their attacks. And I think the reason he took her now was because he doesn't want her safety risked by being here when Grimoire Heart arrives."

"I don't want her safety risked being captive to a spy who lied and tricked her just so he could get a promotion!"

"Wendy will be fine. She's strong and capable and more reasonable than most in this guild." Carla still looked frustrated but could agree with that. Though she naturally worried about the girl there was no denying just how resilient and strong she had become since joining Fairy Tail, "Right now, we need to warn the others in the guild that an attack is on its way."

Even though Carla was still worried and incensed by what had happened, she controlled her emotions enough that she could focus on the task at hand. Lily was right that this didn't just concern them, Wendy, or the Magic Council. This involved everyone, and if Zeref was in the middle of it…then it could only spell tragedy on a scale unimaginable.

They just had to hope no one got hurt before they got the warning out to the rest of the guild.

########Hunter########

"I expected more from members of Fairy Tail." Azuma said flippantly while Gajeel continued to hang by the throat in his prosthetic hand, "I know a number of them helped to bring down the Oración Seis. And I'm sure he was in those numbers. Perhaps if I hunted them down instead-

Gajeel's leg swung up fiercely covered in metal scales to shred away his body. Azuma released his grip, allowing Gajeel to land and run before he could be caught again. Once he was a good distance away and could rub his neck in relief, the Dragon Slayer cursed, "Who the hell is this guy?"

"He's strong, that's what matters." Levy groaned, still trying to stand up even though she had no strength left in her legs. She caught sight of the barbed heart insignia on his clothes, "He's a member of Grimoire Heart."

"That Balam Alliance pillar?" He asked rhetorically before looking towards the tall stranger, "What the hell are you doing on this island?!"

"Looking for something or someone."

"Be specific!"

"I don't want to." Azuma said carelessly, barely paying any attention to them anymore as he looked around, "I'm sure he must be around here somewhere. This is his guild so it'd make sense for him to be here with the rest of the strongest."

Levy and Gajeel listened to him mumble to himself and tried to catch their breath. With a snarl, the Dragon Slayer wiped his cheek and glared, "What the hell is with this guy?"

"He's so strong." Trying to calm herself down, Levy wracked her brain and tried to put everything together. Why was a member of Grimoire Heart here? It couldn't just be to fight someone from their guild - it was too much of a risk. He was strong, but there were S-Class Mages, nearly S-Class capable Mages, and a Wizard Saint littered all over the place. Levy kept glaring up at the invader before her eyes settled on his insignia, "Wait."

"What?"

"Didn't Naruto say that he fought off a bunch of powerful Mages from Grimoire Heart?" Levy asked, remembering something he said during their guild meeting regarding the Balam Alliance and how to go about confronting them. The whiskered S-Class Mage commented on having faced Grimoire Heart, both their guild master when he was younger, and some of their core members just a few months ago. That couldn't just be a coincidence. Levy slowly forced herself up to her feet, keeping herself steady with her hands on her knees as she spoke, "You're looking for Naruto Uzumaki, aren't you?"

"He's one of the people I'm looking for." Azuma answered without missing a beat, "If I could have a rematch with him then today would take a very steep upturn in enjoyment for me."

"I knew it, but it sounds like Naruto's not the only reason he's here. We need to find the others. Warning them that - Gajeel, no!" She immediately reprimanded her partner when she saw him grind his teeth and visibly start to seethe, "You can't just fight him because Naruto did!"

"You understand that puts me in a box, right?!"

"I can't keep wasting time with you." Azuma waved his arm out and the ground around them rumbled and cracked. Sprouting up as they had already formed underground, a veritable forest appeared around the Dark Mage and surrounded the Fairies in an instant. Levy fell back on her butt and scrambled away from them as Gajeel stayed on guard, "If you want to survive, I suggest staying where you are. Heal and recover there away from the fighting. Any movement you make to try not to escape…"

Azuma tapped the body of the closest tree to him. Levy and Gajeel stilled in fright as the gentle tap caused the spot on the bark to glow brightly. And that glow started to spread and cause the other trees to slowly shine like glowsticks as well.

Levy gasped as the glow started to draw towards the trees surrounding them. The gravity of the situation started to crush her as dread filled her voice, "N-No way."

"If you're lucky, some of your companions will come by and find you. Until then, why don't you sit right there and be patient?" Azuma didn't spare them another look, already walking away as he focused on what else he might find first on this island, "There are more fights to be had, and until we find where he is sealed-"

The sound of a deafening crack and toppling trees cut him off before he could finish. Azuma turned around and saw the source of the commotion.

Several trees had been cut down between the Fairies and the path towards the cliff's edge. The toppled trees started to glow so brightly they were blinding, the explosions within them building up to critical mass that would erupt and cause a domino effect across the field. Gajeel's hand had extended into a giant blade, and in his other arm, he held Levy up by the waist.

"Oh?"

"Gajeel! Levy looked around in panic, "What are you doing?! If we touch the trees too much then-"

"Oi, Levy, listen up." She cut herself up, looking up at the Dragon Slayer in surprise as he used her name for the first time. His metallic scales started to spread over his exposed skin as his eyes never left Azuma's form, "You need to warn the rest of the guild about this guy and what's going on. You're the only one who can."

"B-But what about you?"

"Me?" He grinned viciously, "I'm going to try and hold him off as long as I can before he starts attacking anyone else."

"Gajeel-"

"You got this, right? As the next S-Class, do the guild proud and protect everyone."

"Not without you-"

Gajeel tossed her through the path he made off the cliff, sending her careening over and towards the rushing river underneath. Her cry and call of his name echoed out before there was a splash of water down below.

Azuma spared the direction she was sent a look before turning back to Gajeel, "Do you honestly think you can fight me by yourself?"

"Y'know, I can tell you're tough. But the thing is the moment I realized you were here for Hunter…" Gajeel punched his fists together, causing a clashing metal sound to echo before he rushed in, "I JUST HAD TO END YOU MYSELF!"

Despite his obvious weakness, Azuma could admire the Dragon Slayer's ferocious zeal. As the trees around them glowed and started to erupt, the two fighters met and clashed in the middle.

########Hunter########

"Is something the matter, Hades-sama?"

The remaining members of the Seven Kin looked over when they saw their old master raise his head suddenly, looking directly forward when he did, "I sense that Azuma just used one of his stronger techniques."

"You can sense that from here? Damn, that's impressive."

"You can't expect anything else from Hades-sama," Ultear said as she returned to the bridge, zipping up her combat attire as she and Grimoire Heart's battleship drew closer to their destination. She looked to Hades, "Should we be worried that Azuma and those vanguards will raise the alarm on the island before we arrive?"

"Considering I'm not feeling any massive swells of magic power different than usual, I think they're just isolated incidents. They aren't prepared for our arrival. And even if they were…" Hades leaned in his chair, resting his cheek against his fist with a sly smirk, "Would it matter?"

The looks of confidence and sadistic excitement on the faces of the Seven Kin of Purgatory were more than enough of a response to his rhetorical question.

A ping went off on their ship's radar as the leaders of the guild looked over. One of the masked grunts checked it, "Hades-sama, we have another ship on the radar. It's currently afloat far enough off the island that they shouldn't be seen by the people on it."

"Where's the ship from?"

"It's a Magic Council vessel."

"What's a Magic Council vessel doing out here?" Merely quietly pondered. She looked up at Ultear, "Ur, what do you-"

"Meredy," The young Dark Mage flinched at Ultear's stern tone, the older woman glaring ahead, "I told you never to call me by that name."

"I'm sorry." She quietly apologized and hung her head sadly at the way she was chastised. Caprico and Rustyrose were quick to pat her back and shoulders to alleviate some of her guilt.

Zancrow walked across the bridge, jumping down by the grunt's side and pushing him away to get a better look at the Magic Council vessel. An unsettling grin started stretching across his face, "Hey, Hades-sama, you think I can go down there and take care of that ship myself?"

"You don't wish to accompany us on the journey to land, Zancrow?"

"Of course I do! And I'm gonna make it there, don't you worry. But if we gotta keep dealin' with Council folks while we're trying to finish the job then that's just gonna be a pain in the ass. Besides," He looked down at the image of the vessel beneath them and licked his lips, "I bet that hunk of tinder would make a nice bonfire for the start of the new world."

Black flames rushed over his hands in anticipation.

########Hunter########

"Zeref?!" Lahar exclaimed before Doranbolt quickly shushed him and covered his mouth. The two officers looked around the corner, making sure none of the other members of their unit could hear them talk. The bespectacled commander fixed his glasses and sighed, "Doranbolt, are you sure about this? This isn't exactly something you can go around exclaiming without proof."

"I heard it right from the mouths of Grimoire Heart members."

"And I believe that, but it's hard to convince and mobilize the entire Magic Council based on a single confession from a criminal we don't have in custody." Lahar sighed, "Honestly, this would be a much easier problem if you had grabbed one of the Grimoire Mages and not…well-"

"I don't know how things are gonna devolve on that island, Lahar – I wasn't about to leave that girl there." Doranbolt said with unflinching resolve, "However we proceed with this, she isn't going to be in the middle of it."

Lahar stared at him in silence, the sound of water crashing against the hull of the ship and some of the soldiers calling out orders up top punctuating the quiet. The glasses-wearing Rune Knight sighed, "I'll try to reach out to HQ. I'm not sure how much of this they're going to believe considering the last time the Council took a Zeref threat seriously they utilized Etherion. But I'll try to convince them. You just make sure our guest is well-accommodated."

Doranbolt sighed and rubbed his face before making his way down the hall. He stopped outside a door and knocked on it, "Hey, are you alright in there?"

He didn't get an answer.

With another sigh, he twisted the knob and pushed his way in. As he walked into the homey and spacious living quarters, it was to see Wendy curled up on the bed with a pillow squeezed in her arms. She lifted her head enough off the pillow to look his way and her eyes slightly narrowed in annoyance before ducking back into the pillow.

"How are you feeling? You're not motion sick like your friend, right?"

"Take me back."

"I can't."

"Yes, you can. You just choose not to."

Doranbolt closed his eyes tiredly, "I guess you've got me there. But you were only on that island because I brought you there. If there is going to be some terrible battle on it then I didn't want you to stay there-"

"But my guild is there!" Wendy interjected, "If they're there then that's all that matters! I need to be there too!"

"Wendy-"

"I can't leave them behind! Don't make me do that!"

"I won't-"

"Mest-San!"

"No!" The scar-faced spy put his foot down and denied the young Dragon Slayer's desperate plea. Even with her watery eyes and expression, he knew this was the right choice. Bringing her back to that island in the middle of the danger to come was a risk he wasn't willing to take, "I'm not going to take you back there."

"T-Then…" Wendy frantically looked around before looking at Doranbolt. Her eyes narrowed fiercely before she climbed out of bed and put her feet on the ground. She put the pillow aside and faced the scar-faced man, "Then I'll get back there myself. Without your help."

Doranbolt stared at the determined young girl before stepping in and away from the doorway. If she was going to be this defiant, then the best move would be to alter her memories and get her back to the guild. He looked at her sadly, "I'm sorry, Wendy, but I'm making sure you get back to the guild safely."

"My guild is here," She said defiantly, "And I need to stay here now."

"Close your eyes and you'll-"

Suddenly the ship tilted and lurched, Doranbolt grabbing the wall to keep himself standing as Wendy yelped and fell back on her butt. Doranbolt quickly realized something was wrong, rushing out the door and banking to the side to rush towards the source of the commotion. The ship continued to groan and creak from the stress while alarms started going off and other soldiers yelled urgently.

All the while the walls and hallway started to get so hot he felt like he was in a sauna now.

Doranbolt burst into the bridge of the ship, where all the communications, controls, and equipment were housed that made this one of the finest vessels on the seas.

It was all scorched in raging black fire.

He quickly took inventory of everything; from the gaping hole in the roof to the flames settled over every inch of the pilothouse to the dead bodies that littered the ground scorched beyond recognition. And in the middle of it all was the blond man maniacally grinning like a monster with black flames dancing over his hands. He turned towards Doranbolt, recognizing the new arrival that had just walked in…and grinned.

Doranbalt teleported just before the plume of black flames could swallow him whole.

Reappearing on the other side of the room and caught his breath as his heart pounded in his chest.

"Oho~," Zancrow smirked and slowly turned back towards the vanishing spy, "You're a fast little gnat, aren't you?"

Doranbolt knew how dangerous it would be to stand still and get caught in this monster's range. The moment the Grimoire Mage turned to attack, Doranbolt vanished to the other side of the room to avoid the flames. Zancrow cackled and turned, dragging a rush of fire with his hand and sending it flying around the room. Teleporting again and again, Doranbolt evaded Zancrow's path of destruction as the Dark Mage laughed like a hyena.

As a minute passed by and Doranbolt tried to catch his breath after the relentless attacks, the sweltering heat was starting to affect him. Sweat poured down his face and he was finding it difficult to catch his breath while in such a tense situation.

"I can't believe the Magic Council has someone this adept at running away! Ahahaha!" Zancrow bellowed, "Hey, you might be having fun but you're just wasting my time." The manic grin on the man's face stretched abnormally as he showed off his teeth, "So you can keep running if you want, but this next one's gonna drop this whole ship." He took a deep breath, his chest expanding as his magic power spiked.

Doranbolt felt a chill run up his back as he saw the black flames building in the Dark Mage's mouth.

"Fire God's Be-"

"ROAR!"

A tornado broke through the doorway to the bridge and rushed towards Zancrow before he could finish. The Dark Mage quickly jumped back before he could be swallowed up by the raging vortex. It tore through the flames and structure of the room, breaking out into the outside with its full power before the tornado started to subside.

Doranbolt could finally catch his breath as the flames and heat started to die down. He looked over and saw Wendy standing in the broken pathway, the little Mage panting and trying to catch her breath after her powerful attack. When she walked into the room a little more she blanked and turned pale at the sight of the charred bodies everywhere.

"Hahaha! Man, look at that! Crazy to think the strongest person among the Rune Knights is some little girl with a loud mouth!" Wendy and Doranbolt looked over at the rabid cackling, the debris, and the broken wood shifting as the figure underneath pushed his way out. Once he was freed, Zancrow cracked his neck and laughed, "But man, that nasty little breath attack was the best you can offer? We need to fulfill our mission sooner than ever to weed out you losers."

Even though she had attacked him, Wendy didn't have a good sense of who she was facing until now. And as the feeling of dread settled in her bones she knew this wasn't an enemy she should have picked a fight with, "W-Who are you?"

"Me? I'm Zancrow of the Wrath. One of the Seven Kins of Purgatory, Little Girl." Black flames burst off him like a raging inferno and his vicious smile could be seen in the flames, "And I'm going to turn you and this entire ship into a nice piece of kindling."

########Hunter########

Levy panted for air as she finally found purchase on a bank along the river she floated in. Her fingers dug into the gravel and mud as her feet planted against the muck. She dragged herself out of the river until at least her upper body was in the open air. And from there she forced her tired muscles to carry her up the rest of the way. Once she was out of the water, feeling it rush along her ankles and feet, her body went limp and she rested on the ground.

The last moment of Gajeel in her sight before she passed over the cliff's edge came to her mind. And even though Levy felt exhaustion through every muscle in her body she urged herself to keep going. Anything she could do to reach her friends and warn them.

"S-Stupid – ah!" She flinched in pain, "Stupid Gajeel. We're partners, aren't we?" Tears of frustration started to prick her eyes. She couldn't drag herself any further as she collapsed into the grass and sobbed, "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid."

"Erza-San, Juiva heard something over here!"

Levy struggled to keep her eyes open and looked up at the shadows hovering over her. When the blurs in her eyes started to focus and solidify, Levy looked up to see both Erza and Juvia standing over her. The redhead got down on her knees and gently helped Levy rest on her side as she tried to catch her breath, "Levy, what happened to you? These injuries aren't just from running around the island, are they?"

"E-Erza," Levy took the older girl's hand, squeezing it tightly as her tears started to rush down her face, "Gajeel is fighting. H-He's too strong. Please, help him."

"Gajeel-kun?"

"Hold on, Levy," Erza gently picked the exhausted girl up, "We'll find him soon."

########Hunter########

"Gajeel!" Lily called out when he finally found his partner laid out on the ground, covered in burns and soot amidst a field of scorch marks and exploded ground, "Gajeel, are you alive?! Can you hear me?! Please, answer me!"

"W-What did this?" Carla looked around at the carnage whatever battle Gajeel had been in. It seemed like they were in the middle of a field of trees, their trunks being the only things left of them. Some had been cut off by blades while others seemed to have burst open like balloons, "This can't be part of the exam, is it?"

"I think these are more of those people from Grimoire Heart. I can't imagine anything else on this island being able to hurt Gajeel like this." Lily pressed his ear to the Dragon Slayer's chest after turning him over. After remaining still in fright for a moment he let out a breath of relief when he heard the faint heartbeat resound in his ears, "He's alive. Thank god."

"But he's still hurt." Carla clicked her tongue, "If Wendy was here she'd be able to heal him, but that stupid spy had to abscond with her before we could figure anything out!" The little white cat tutted and started to pace around in anger before catching her breath. She looked at Gajeel's injured form and then in a random direction of the island, "If Naruto is here then he'll have his Sky sword with him. That will be the best treatment Gajeel can get on the island at the moment."

"Right, then we need to find Naruto and keep Gajeel safe." Pantherlily grew to full size, lifting Gajeel over his shoulder as he took to the air again. Carla lifted off ahead of him before they both stopped over the treetops and started looking around, "Are there any flashes? Can you discern where anyone might be right now?"

"No, I haven't got anything! We'll need to keep looking!" They started flying over the island for some sign of their friends from the guild, "We need to find the shore their boat arrived at and we can look for everyone else from there! They have to be-"

Suddenly, a giant spurt of water shot up from the trees like a fountain. Lily and Carla froze and watched the water spurt, hesitant to move in case it was some kind of ploy from the enemy they knew was on the island. But as they watched they saw something akin to the shape of an arm form in the water and wave them over.

"Juvia!" They immediately flew towards the water as she lowered herself back towards the trees. As the two Exceed flew down to the ground they saw the blue-haired Mage beside Erza carrying a nearly unconscious Levy on her back, "Erza! Levy! Thank goodness we found you!"

"Carla, Lily, what are you two doing here? And is that Gajeel?"

"Gajeel-kun!" Juvia quickly came over to Lily's side as he gingerly laid the injured Dragon Slayer on the ground, "What happened?"

"We found him amidst a field of explosions and scorch marks. He fought back against someone but…he didn't beat them."

"Gajeel-kun lost to someone?"

A faint groan and whimper came from Erza's back as Levy started to stir awake. The little Mage lifted her head and looked down at Gajeel's prone body. She urgently shifted over Erza's back, urging the redhead to kneel and allow her to climb off her back. Levy panted softly as she knelt by Gajeel's side and touched his face. She felt how dry and dirty he was and sniffled.

"Levy."

"Idiot," She muttered, "I would have helped. I would."

Erza watched the quiet moment before standing back up, "Who did this?"

"Dark Mages from Grimoire Heart. They've invaded the island and there are more of them on the way. We fought back a pair of them with Wendy and that man who called himself Mest, but he was a spy from the Magic Council who infiltrated the guild." Juvia gasped as Carla continued, "There should be a larger force of them on the way here. But that's not the worst part."

"They're here looking for someone. They said they found him on this island and are trying to revive him."

"Who?"

"Zeref, the Black Mage."

The name Carla said sent a cold wave through the chests of the women around her. Levy trembled by Gajeel's side as Juvia covered her mouth in shock. Erza's eyes widened in shock before they narrowed resolutely. She stepped back, walking away from everyone else as she pulled a flare gun out of her bag.

"I'm calling it now; the S-Class exam is postponed."

She raised it, pulled on the bottom, and sent the flare flying high into the air.

It exploded in a burst of red light unmissable across the island.

"FAIRY TAIL IS AT WAR!"

########Hunter########

Naruto looked up in time to see the flare burn in the sky overhead. His eyes widened in fright as all the possibilities ran through his head. He was still trying to find the trail of the gloomy man who ran off, so he couldn't have escaped in that direction and hurt someone, right? Did he screw up? Did one of his friends get hurt because he hadn't found that stranger?

The images of his friends lying lifeless at the feet of the black-haired man flashed in his head.

"SHIT!"

########Hunter########

Natsu, Happy, Elfman, and Evergreen all looked up at the red flare in shock as it hit its apex and started trailing down.

########Hunter########

"Mira-nee?"

Mirajane froze and gulped nervously as she saw the red flare fall through the sky.

########Hunter########

"Lucy, do you see that?"

"Y-Yeah," The blonde girl felt unsettled at the light the flare let off as it fell through the air, "What is that?"

"It's the emergency flare. It signals that something has gone wrong during the test and we need to stop."

"Can't imagine what it could be but they wouldn't send it flying for nothing."

"Huh?" Cana and Lucy turned in surprise when they heard the additional voices join their conversation. As Loke and Gray emerged from the bushes and trees to join them, Lucy looked at them suspiciously, "How were you guys so close that you found us that fast?"

"Oh, we were following you. We heard you guys figuring out a clue to which way the First Master's grave might be so we decided to stalk you, find the grave, and make the jump once it was in our sight."

"You motherfucker." The brunette drinker snarled through her teeth as her hands tightened around an imaginary throat, "Gray, I'm gonna shove my foot so far up your ass people will see what size I wear when you open your mouth!"

"Yeah, I get you're angry. But we can't worry about that." Gray deflected, easing Cana's seething rage for a moment before they all looked up at the falling flare, "We need to figure out what caused that flare to get fired."

########Hunter########

Azuma walked through the trees and bushes after his intense battle with Gajeel. There were bruises and lacerations over his entire body after the battle had finally come to an end against the pierced man.

In truth, he was a far more enjoyable fight than Azuma had expected, but it still wasn't the bout he came here for. If he could find the Wizard Saint or one of the S-Class Mages then that would be all the more worth it.

And if he could have that rematch he was dying for…

The flash of strange light through the trees drew the Dark Mage's attention up to the sky to see a flare falling through the air. He stared up at it for several seconds…

"What are the chances that's unrelated to me?" He asked himself, "Low. Probably low."

########Hunter########

The things Makarov was feeling from around the island caused deep unease in his gut.

First, it had just been swells of magic he could determine as his kids fought their way through the island trying to find this place. But then some deep, disturbing swell of power he didn't recognize expanded and immediately disappeared before he could find it. And now, after a fierce burst of magic somewhere deeper on the island, the warning flare was soaring over and starting to fade.

Someone was here threatening his family. Makarov narrowed his eyes as he spotted the small black spot in the blue sky approaching them. And even though that ship didn't contain as vile a power as that surge on the island, he could tell it would bring nothing but trouble if it managed to reach Tenrou.

"Master," He slowly stood up, his joints cracking as he did until he leaned back and popped his back, "There's trouble brewing, and my kids are going to be in the crossfire. I don't want any harm to come to the guild I love, so I will face and fight whatever threats come its way. So please…"

He turned, gently placing his hand on the grave of Mavis Vermillion and closing his eyes, "Watch over them and keep them safe."

Master Mavis Vermillion was the one who started this all, creating a guild with a dream in mind for a home where misfits and wanderers could join and find family with each other.

Master Precht Gaebolg kept it going, watching over it after her untimely passing. He taught Makarov everything he knew about the guild, building harmony among his friends, and setting Fairy Tail on the bright path of prosperity it still enjoyed today.

Their will rested on him now...

And he would not fail.

Makarov boldly strode forward, ready to intercept the enemies of Fairy Tail before they could reach this land.

########Hunter########

"How long do you think it will take Zancrow to destroy that ship?"

Ultear pondered on Caprico's inquiry, "How long? A couple of seconds to destroy the ship. But how long will it take him to get here considering he'll probably burn everything to cinders and leave himself stranded?" She scoffed, "Who knows? He's never been one to think ahead before making a move."

"That is true."

"H…H…He…" Kain Hikaru struggled to eke out the words he was building up. The big man stuttered and grumbled, "H…He…"

"Spit it out, Kain."

"Heisquitehotheadedbutheisstillourcomradesoweshouldtrustthathecanhandlehimselfandmakeitbacktousintimetohelpwiththefight!"

"Not all at once, Kain."

"Zancrow is capable and should have a handle on dealing with that ship. And all of you should be strong enough to handle the people on that island." Everyone on the bridge went silent as Hades spoke, the ancient man slowly standing up. He stepped forward, strolling towards the window to look out over everything beyond the walls of their ship, "However, if there proves to Mages on the island that can match even your magic…" A crooked smirk grew across the one-eyed man's face, "Then make sure to use that 'gift' I was able to procure for you."

The remaining members of the Seven Kin of Purgatory present looked down at specific parts of their bodies. Kain patted his belly while Rustyrose rubbed his neck. As Caprico touched his shoulder, Ultear put a hand to her breast with an uneasy look on her face, "And you're certain this 'gift' will work for us?"

"Granted there will be risks if you use it - any boost in power comes with it - but they have been tested and harnessed as best as possible." Hades assured them, "With the original supply from Tartaros and the helpful refining we've gotten in cooperation with Raven Tail, we're more prepared for the world Zeref can make than ever before."

The beautiful raven-haired woman tightened her hand over her chest before pulling away, "No offense, Hades-sama, but I don't think I want to take the chance to test another one of your experiments. If we face any real opposition down on the island, we'll take care of it by our means."

"Fair enough." The old man shrugged, "I simply offer the option. I won't force any of you to make it."

Meredy gently touched her abdomen with a pensive expression at the idea of using Hades' experiment. But as she raised her eyes, her face paled, and her apprehension faded, "Um, Master?" She pointed forward, "What is that?"

Everyone turned back towards the front of the bridge to look out the window…

And saw the balding behemoth that towered over the beach and stood between them and the island. His hands were large enough to envelop the entire ship between them. And his chest was wide enough that it blocked them from turning to land on a different part of the beach either.

And right before their eyes…was a Fairy Tail insignia large enough to dwarf them and their ship.

The grunts and soldiers of Grimoire Heart cowered and fell back, their bravado and cocksureness melting away in the face of the giant. Even the Seven Kin of Purgatory that were present looked afraid to tangle with him.

But Hades…merely smiled and didn't waver when the giant leaned down to look into the ship.

"The master of Fairy Tail, Makarov Dreyar."

"The Wizard Saint?!"

"That's the leader of Fairy Tail?!"

"He's huge!"

"You!" Makarov's boisterous voice echoed and shook the entire ship with its vibrato. A growl ran up through his throat as the giant raised his hand, "I won't let you come ANYWHERE NEAR MY GUILD!"

"Evasive maneuvers!" Hades ordered.

"Y-Yes sir!"

The ship banked through the air, just barely raising in time as Makarov's vicious swing came hurtling towards them. His massive digits carried through, and the ship got nicked along the way. Everyone inside the ship tumbled about and struggled to find their balance after the intense evasion.

"W-We made it!"

"But we're not going to avoid the follow-up." Hades surmised, seeing the giant hand already swinging back their way, "Caprico, get everyone to the island!"

"And you, Master?"

"I'll handle Makarov here."

The goat man nodded and raised his hands before bringing them together in a sharp clap. Suddenly, everyone besides Caprico and Hades disappeared. The goat man rushed to the side, grabbing a jet pack and then breaking through the window as he fell through the air.

Makarov spotted the small dot jumping off the ship and immediately flying away through the air. He watched the speck fly around his body and rush towards the island as quickly as it could. He turned and reached out, "You aren't going anyway near-"

A magical chain flew out and grew to tremendous size, snagging around Makarov's wrist and yanking him back forward. The giant looked down at the relatively tall man standing atop the damaged ship spitting out smoke and fire from where he nicked an engine. Makarov was startled by the strange magic before he scowled and looked back, barely able to make out Caprico as he approached Tenrou Island. The old Fairy snarled before bringing his hands together, "You've left me no choice."

As his hands laced over each other, a beautiful and intense light started to shine out from his palms. Hades nearly went blind looking into the light that illuminated like a sun in his grasp. An amused chuckle slipped out of the old Dark Mage, "Fairy Law, eh?"

The legendary ultimate magic of Fairy Tail. Said to be able to destroy entire armies in the hands of a powerful enough user. When used by a master, Fairy Law would recognize whoever the caster thought was an enemy and render them unable to fight anymore.

"I shall give you to the count of three to gather your people and retreat before I make my move." The light intensified several folds in Makarov's hands, "3! 2! 1-"

"I told you to never use that in a big group, remember? Too risky. Maybe you've gotten careless in your old age?"

Makarov nearly paused at the strange wording from the helmet-wearing geriatric. And soon after a blinding black light grew from where he stood, quickly intensifying until it matched the Fairy Law between Makarov's hands.

"This is Grimoire Law. A spell I made fashioned with Fairy Law in mind. If our two spells collide, you'll get what you wanted by taking out my guild. But it'll take out your guild as well. So why don't you put that magic away and we can settle this differently, Boy."

Makarov froze in shock, hearing that familiar term used by an old voice he hadn't heard in…decades. Only one person had ever called him Boy. Even when he was a middle-aged man of 40, one person still knew him well enough to bop him on the head and call him a child.

"M-Master?" Makarov muttered as the spell in his hands died away. Hades' spell faded as well, "Master Precht- GAH!"

A giant hook launched up and snagged around Makarov's massive throat. The Fairy Tail master gagged and struggled for air as the magical hook tightened around his neck and nearly cut off his breath.

Hades smiled before yanking his hands aside, pulling the giant off his feet and sending him flying towards Tenrou Island. With a smirk, Hades jumped off his ship as it started to descend and followed after Makarov's falling form, "Why don't we take some time to catch up?"

########Hunter########

"D-Did Master just disappear?"

"What could've sent Master flying like that when he's so big?" Gray asked, "I don't think I've ever seen him budge when he grows bigger - especially when he's that size."

"It's gotta be whatever had that flare sent up." Loke rationalized.

"Then we gotta get going. We can't just keep waiting here." Cana made to walk down the path before she noticed Lucy still standing in place looking up at the sky, "Lucy? What are you doing?"

The blonde girl stared up at the sky. When the sun nearly got in her eyes she shielded them with a hand while still looking up, "Do you guys see that?" The other Fairies looked up and saw the strange thing trailing through the sky with what looked like glitter falling behind it, "What is that?"

"Is that glitter?"

"What the hell is going on?"

The glitter started to gently sparkle down over Tenrou Island. Lucy watched the little sparkle float down in front of her face. And inside it, she could have sworn she saw a little man with a weapon. The glittering ball cracked open-

And a full-grown man appeared above her, yelling with murderous glee as he swung a bladed weapon towards her head.

"AAHH!" Lucy yelled as she was tackled to the ground before the blade could cleave into her head. She flinched and looked up to see Loke had just narrowly saved her before she could get attacked, "W-What happened?"

"We're surrounded!" Gray and Cana quickly backed into each other, preparing for battle as dozens of Dark Mages surrounded them when they appeared from the light.

########Hunter########

"Mira-nee! Who are these guys?!"

"I don't know." Mira grimly said as she and her sister were suddenly surrounded by the rest area.

########Hunter########

"What the hell is this?!"

"Sorry losers, but this is the end of the line!"

"You're facing Grimoire Heart now!"

"Grimoire Heart?" Evergreen's eyes widened, "Why is one of the Balam Alliance here?!"

As the countless grunts continued to arrive around them, Natsu snarled and punched his hands together in a burst of flame, "Who cares? Let's deal with these guys!"

########Hunter########

"Carla. Lily. Watch over Levy and Gajeel." Erza ordered as she dropped her bag by her feet, "We'll take care of these intruders."

"Erza, are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Erza-San," Juvia whispered by the redhead's side, "If these people are here for the reasons we heard-"

"Then we take care of them as quickly as possible." With a firm tone and unwavering resolve, Erza summoned swords in each hand while facing down the horde of Dark Mages, "That's all we need to do."

########Hunter########

"Hahaha! It's the end of the line, you Fairy fuck!" The Grimoire Mage cackled and mocked the man in front of him as the dozen other grunts reveled in the fact they had the lone Fairy Mage surrounded. With their victory assured they basked in the moment, "You better pray now and think back on your life! Because with us here, you haven't got a snowball's chance in-"

A hand slammed into his cheek before he could squeak out the next word. And before he could make a sound, that hand pushed him back and slammed his head into the ground hard enough to crack it.

The Grimoire grunts blinked after they realized their target had disappeared in front of them. And slowly they looked over to see him standing over the loudest one of them that was speaking just a moment ago.

"I don't know why you're here, and I don't care." Naruto turned around and cracked his knuckles - a vicious scowl on his face after the interruption in his search for the black-haired Mage, "Grimoire Heart, right? From the looks of your insignia, I guess it's you. Bad luck on your part. I was already frustrated and I'm in a bad mood…"

Naruto stomped forward as everyone else retreated, "And you lot just made it worse."

########Hunter########

"Sky Drag-"

"HAA!"

"IYAH!"

"WENDY!" Doranbolt rushed in and grabbed the little Dragon Slayer before she could be engulfed in black flames. They reappeared on a different side of the room again, just barely avoiding the attack from Zancrow. The spy panted and bent down on a knee as Wendy tried to catch her breath as well, "This isn't looking good."

"H-He's too fast. He won't let me form a spell fast enough before he attacks." Wendy coughed, "I-I don't know what to do."

"You know, I didn't think the Rune Knights were this pathetic!" Zancrow mocked them as his flames intensified and spread over the systems and room around him, "You know if you don't put up a little fight you're gonna die for nothing!"

"Stop it!" Wendy yelled out over the sounds of bustling flames and creaking wood, "You've already killed so many people! Why?! Why would you do this?!"

"Why?" Zancrow repeated, looking up in thought quizzically before smiling and shrugging, "Because I want to."

"What?"

"I said I want to. I have the power to turn everything to ash," He exemplified his point with a burst of black flames in his palms, "And so I do. This world is filled with worthless losers and peons - people so weak they couldn't possibly make it to the new world."

"New world?"

"So they may as well be my source of strength, and after that my entertainment. That's all they're worth at the end of the day. Just like you two, little Rune Knight."

"I'm not a Rune Knight!" Wendy yelled defiantly, stepping forward and putting her shoulder forward to proudly display the Fairy Tail logo tattooed on her arm, "I am a member of the Fairy Tail guild! My name is Wendy Marvell, the Sky Dragon Slayer! And I won't let you bring your destruction on the island to hurt my guild!"

Zancrow stared at the girl in surprise after her exclamation. But he didn't even bother registering her name or the determination in her voice. Instead, his eye twitched slightly as he ground his teeth, "Fairy Tail?" Wendy flinched at the harshness in his voice as Doranbolt immediately jumped back up on guard, "You're part of Fairy Tail?"

The black flames on his arms steadily started to grow more intense as his anger rose. A black inferno enveloped the Dark Mage as the heat increased a dozenfold. He stomped forward, scorching the floor beneath him. Wendy started to retreat in fear, feeling wave after wave of killing intent coming off of Zancrow now aimed at her, "If you're part of Fairy Tail, that makes this easy. I don't need to kill you. I can burn you, carry you to the island, and present you to that blond bitch long enough to get the drop on him and end it. Stay still, Little Fairy," He started reaching out as Wendy shied away, "This won't hurt any longer than it has to."

A figure flashed into existence between her and Zancrow, standing in her defense before the black flames could reach her. Wendy caught her breath after the fear nearly swallowed her whole as she looked up, "M-Mest-San?"

"You're not laying a finger on her."

"You can die too - no trouble for me." Zancrow continued unabated, "I'll end this-"

Zancrow's hand was forced against an invisible wall that nearly bent his fingers at a disturbing angle when he reached for the duo. Wendy and Doranbolt seemed just as surprised as Zancrow as he stepped back and looked at the barrier he had encountered.

Rule: You cannot enter if you are a member of Grimoire Heart

"What the fuck is this?!"

"This is Dark Ecriture magic. And it will not allow you to approach them as long as you have that tattoo on your body."

"Which means you ain't getting any closer to our little interim leader as long as we're around. Is that clear, jackass?"

Wendy looked past Zancrow and saw a new duo standing in the opening of the bridge her roar had created. Her eyes widened and she smiled with relief, "Freed-San! Bickslow-San!"

"Heya Wendy! You're in some shit, huh?" Bickslow laughed with his tongue hanging out.

"We were on our way back before we got word from the guild that something was happening with the Magic Council. We saw this ship on our way back, and then we saw your roar tear through its hull." Freed narrowed his eyes at the flaming blond, "And this man in the middle of it all."

"ENOUGH!" A rush of black flames came toward the two Fairy members and they quickly split up to avoid it. The black flames spewed out the broken hole and spread to the Fairy Tail ship outside, catching the thing in flames unintentionally as Zancrow started swiping his arms around, "I'M SICK OF DEALING WITH YOU FUCKING FAIRIES!"

Zancrow threw fire and belched it out in an attempt to catch Freed and Bickslow. Even with the rune shield around them Doranbolt grabbed Wendy and shielded her from the rush of fire that passed around them.

"One! Two! Ten! Twenty! I don't care how many more of you drop in!" The Grimoire Mage was raving mad, his eyes white with rage as the flames around him burst off his body, "You're just more pests I need to kill!" Bickslow jumped on his totems to evade as Freed created wings to fly with, "Until I get the chance to kill that blond fucker and all of his friends, and finally revive Zeref, I'm not letting any of you little bitches get in my way! YOU'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!"

A giant wave of black flames exploded out in every direction to swarm everything around him.

But the flames were sectioned off and disappeared before they could cause any damage.

Zancrow blinked in confusion at the impossible reaction he'd just felt. And then he looked down when he felt someone step in close to his guard.

Just in time to get a metal fist in the cheek that caused his vision to go black.

Zancrow was sent flying through the walls of the ship, crashing through everything in his path until he broke through the other side and went flying over the water.

Wendy and Doranbolt blinked in surprise as they watched Gildarts stand back up and shake out his prosthetic hand. The older S-Class Mage looked to Freed expectantly, "I mean that was the right move, right? We wanted that guy out of here?"

"Yes, Gildarts, that was the right move."

Bickslow shrugged, "I don't know if you had to take out half the ship just by punching the guy, but shit you do you."

"Well, if that jerk's all taken care of…" The three Fairies looked over at Wendy and narrowed their eyes at Doranbolt, "You wanna explain what's going on, Mr. Magic Council?"

Somehow Doranbolt was more afraid now than at Zancrow's mercy.

########Hunter########

Atop the center tree of Tenrou Island, she watched as battles spread across the island and damage scoured her homeland.

########Hunter########

Natsu roared and swatted dozens of enemies away with a wave of his arms as Elfman, Evergreen, and Happy thinned out the numbers.

Lucy and Cana worked in tandem by each other's side while Loke and Gray charged into the depths of the enemies' numbers.

Mira quickly proved why it was a mistake to surround her as Lisanna speedily defeated everyone close to her.

Lily and Carla protected Levy and Gajeel as Juvia whipped out arms of water while Erza slashed them down with flashes of silver.

########Hunter########

All the while her successor struggled to stand against their new enemy…and her dearest friend.

########Hunter########

Makarov panted and struggled to stand as Hades remained dauntless and unmoved.

The Fairy Tail master felt conflicted and confused. But the Grimoire Heart master was not nearly as perturbed - long since preparing for sacrifices like this.

########Hunter########

And all around their worst enemies gathered and prepared to move on them.

########Hunter########

Azuma rubbed his neck and continued to trudge through the forest and trees to find another opponent.

Rustyrose dramatically flicked his hair before heading in one direction.

Caprico dropped off his jet pack and fixed his glasses.

Meredy was already making a move the moment she landed with the rest of their forces.

Kain Hikaru had landed on his head and whimpered as he rubbed his crown with a groan.

Ultrear had landed and was about to move, but instead immediately dropped down into the bushes and hid before she could be spotted.

She watched Naruto devastate the horde of grunts around him in just a matter of seconds, making quick work of their numbers before dusting himself off. He scowled and seemed to mutter some curse before he turned and started walking away. Saying something about picking up the trail of the gloomy bastard that had slipped away. She wasn't quite sure who he meant but her instincts told her he could prove fruitful.

The Dark Mage quietly followed after the S-Class Fairy as they made their way through the forest.

########Hunter########

Atop the center tree of Tenrou Island, she watched everything occur…and knew there was nothing she could do to help them.

Instead, she silently prayed for their safety and hoped for their victory.

It was her guild…now and forever…and she hoped they would continue to make the name of Fairy Tail proud.

########Hunter########

Done

I wanted to end this chapter on a different note, but I realized it would take me forever to get there. Thankfully with a little restructuring I think it can be very effective for next chapter instead.

Look forward to it!

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