12

"This is as far as I can take you, as I cannot be seen to openly take aggression against the Bharam Alliance."

Warrod's words had all three S Class Mages snapping to attention, Natsu's eyes slowly opening to see the foreboding castle in the distance. Emblazoned upon a large flag was the Tartaros Guild Emblem, and underneath that was the emblem of the Second Circle.

"Lord Warrod … Thanks for taking us here," Jenny replied, noticing that both Natsu and Kiara were hyper-focused on the building ahead. "We won't fail."

"See to it that you don't, because you'll most certainly die if you do."

Natsu rose to his feet, eyes narrowed, as he stepped right past Warrod without a word. The aged Wizard Saint watched him go with a neutral expression. It reminded him of a young sprout from Fairy Tail many years ago, one who also showed great promise.

"Natsu, wait up a sec," Kiara called out, only for him to vanish in a burst of speed. "Natsu-!"

"I wouldn't bother trying to actually keep pace with that one," Warrod hummed as the girls looked back to the elderly Saint. "Focus on taking down any underlings and basic forces the Second Circle has at their command, and let Natsu handle their Guild Master. He's got quite a good track record at that."

"Its still kinda crazy how different he is now, compared to how he was when I first met him," Jenny replied, thinking back to their brief encounter at Sorcerer Weekly's Headquarters. "He's so… different?"

"Fawn over him later Jen, we need to move," Kiara huffed as she dropped down onto all fours. "Thanks for the ride, Lord Warrod!"

"My pleasure," the aged Saint smiled as he began to sink into the mangrove they'd been riding on. "Now, I'll go deal with the Council. Good luck!"

As Warrod vanished, Kiara and Jenny took off after Natsu, hoping they could at least catch up before he kicked things off…

***POTD***

Mira's eyes slowly fluttered open, the sound of a fire crackling nearby, and the dull hum of Lacrima lights was rather nice to wake up to … for about five seconds, at least. On the sixth second, she recalled why she had been unconscious to begin with, and immediately tried to get to her feet, only to find her wrists and ankles bound.

Looking around, she quickly came to realize she was in some sort of bedroom, which already had alarm bells ringing in her head, considering the circumstances of how she arrived here. To her right, there was a small table with a bottle of vintage wine and two empty glasses, as well as a currently covered food tray.

"What-?"

The moment she had gone to mumble her confusion, the door to the bedroom immediately opened, prompting her to abruptly freeze in place and feign unconsciousness. Whoever entered was rather light on their feet, and almost giggled with a melodic softness that seemed rather comforting.

"Come now darling, there is really no need to feign your unconsciousness," a melodic voice chimed in comfortingly. "I assure you, that you're perfectly safe and protected here…"

'Yeah right,' Mira thought to herself as she felt the bonds around her ankles and wrists. 'Safe and protected from resisting your perverted ass!'

Deciding to bite the proverbial bullet and just get this encounter over with, Mira slowly opened her eyes to see her stalker. To her initial surprise, they didn't even look like a Demon, but rather, a Human.

Standing at around nine feet tall and possessing a somewhat slim, yet still somewhat muscular build, was her stalker. They were wearing a black formal suit with a cherry red undershirt, black striped tie with blood red stripes. They had long, silky black hair that flowed with every movement, and a rather aristocratic face, with a slightly pointed nose and chin, complete with dark orange eyes.

"We finally meet at last, my beloved Mirajane," the stalker purred, extending a hand toward her which she immediately flinched away from as best she could. "Ah … perhaps not yet, it seems? Understandable, given the circumstances surrounding your arrival here. Rest assured, the Demon who dared to lay a hand upon you has been, quite literally, ripped to shreds."

"What do you want from me," Mira hissed back, glaring in the direction of the man who seemed to not even notice her distaste for him.

"Why, what else would I want," the man chuckled softly. "You and I are destined to be together. Quite literally, love at first sight, as the saying goes!"

"I've never met you before in my life!?"

"Oh, but we have, my beloved Mirajane," the man replied gently. "It was many years ago, in a dark wood far from here. You were tasked with dealing with a Guild of Demons, and you made short work of the entire Guild by yourself…"

Mira's eyes narrowed, deep in thought. The man was referencing a time before she stopped going out on jobs, around a decade ago. A time back when she was The Demon Mirajane, a rough, rowdy and violent person who ruthlessly tore apart the foes on her contracts with her Take Overs.

"You mean… since all the way back then…?"

"Oh yes," the man replied gently. "I was there, yet you did not harm me at the time, as I had taken the appearance of a Human boy in an attempt to save my own life. You took me from that place, taking me to safety and placing me in one of those Human orphanages."

"That was so long ago… I can't even really remember it," Mira admitted, shocked, and rather concerned that the man could remember it in such detail.

"It matters not, because, from that day forward … I knew that one day, we would be together. I worked hard, became as strong as I possibly could, so that I could stand alongside you in strength so that we may ruthlessly butcher our foes together!"

'What the hell is wrong with this guy!?'

"Eventually, I knew you were searching for me," the man continued, becoming more worked up. "Those photos in the magazines, Sorcerer Weekly! To the rest of the world, it might have seemed like innocuous smut, but I knew better … I knew from that look in your eyes, that look reserved only for me!"

'I think I'm going to be sick…'

"I could tell that you had grown, and now hungered for me," the man continued, his melodic voice becoming twisted and warped with lust. "Your body craved your King … and I knew that eventually, we would meet."

Mira was about to respond, but froze, upon seeing the scowl suddenly mar the man's features.

"But then, I discovered that yesterday, another man had touched you," the man snarled. "He tried to taint you, twist you against me! So, I had no choice but to accelerate out fated meeting, my beloved!"

The man stepped back so that she could fully see him, performing a half bow and smiling, showing off his razor-sharp teeth.

"Welcome home, my Queen."

An Officer In The Tartaros Guild

Guild Master Of The Second Circle

SSS Rank Dark Mage

The Rumbling Scourge

Agares

Before Agares was able to return to his upright posture, the entire building shook violently, startling even Agares himself, who clearly hadn't expected such a disturbance.

The door behind the Demon opened to admit another Demon that actually did look like the genuine article, and not a Human.

"Great Master, our home is under attack!"

"What!?"

"It is the pink haired one who dared touch the Queen, Great Master," the small Demon squeaked. "Zashily has spotted two females also approaching from behind his position!"

"Guild Mages," Agares spat. "I'm shocked they even had the spine to attempt to attack us, considering the Council's fear of retribution from the Bharam Alliance and Tartaros?"

"What should we do, Great Master!? The pink haired one is far too strong for even the mightiest of us!?"

"I shall engage him myself," Agares sneered, picturing every unspeakable horror he was capable of inflicting. "Lead him here, have my best defeat or detain the females! They could be useful breeding stock for Lord Mard Geer's plans…"

"As you command, Great Master," the small Demon squeaked as it fled the room.

"My apologies my beloved, but it appears that the interlopers have come to try and forcibly remove you from your own home," Agares chuckled, as if he were somehow the good guy in all this. "Fear not, we shall destroy them in due course. They know not who they have just antagonized, do they, my sweet?"

Mira didn't respond, instead, she was thinking about how impressive it was Natsu had tracked her down this quickly. And the two women were undoubtedly Kiara and Jenny, two more S Class Mages.

Things were looking up, in a certain way, anyway. After all, she still had to endure the … affections … of this repulsive stalker.

She wouldn't dare voice her disgust aloud, however, knowing that Natsu was already working to get her out of this mess.

She just hoped that the Demon didn't try and have his way with her before Natsu arrived…

***POTD***

He arrived at the entrance to the Second Circle, almost appearing from thin air before the two Demons guarding the front, as if he'd teleported.

The two Demons, naturally, found themselves startled by this, and went to attack. Before the first one could actually do anything, however, it found its arms broken, followed by a leg as Natsu shattered them with Crash Magic, pushing it aside before rounding on the other one.

"One chance. Where is Mirajane Strauss, the Human kidnapped from Elira Town?"

"Screw you Human," the Demon screeched. "I don't-!"

In the time it took for the Demon to blink, Natsu had gone from standing several feet away, to following through on a clearly powerful punch. The Demon scarcely had the time to process that it was being punched as its head was knocked clean off of its shoulders, smashing through the front doors as the aftershock from his punch shook the entire building.

His face was calm, but the exhale through his nose gave way to two small spurts of flame, his gaze cold and hard as he marched right into the Second Circle.

A dozen Demons stood around in the entrance hall, shocked to see a random Human just barge inside. Shock quickly gave way to anger, however, as they all rushed Natsu's position.

The first two tried to come at him from his immediate left and right, and were easy to deal with. Ducking, they struck each other, allowing him to simply reach up and crush their forearms with his superior grip strength, causing them to back away immediately.

The next one came from the front, prompting Natsu to snatch up the tentacle that the Demon had shot toward him. As he continued forward, he ignited the tentacle, the fire traveling back up to the attacker and setting them fully ablaze.

Three more tried rushing him, prompting Natsu to sidestep the first attack and grab a large, muscular Demon by their fist, swinging him around to use as a shield as the third impaled his fellow Demon with a series of razor-sharp spines, killing it instantly.

Spinning the Demon around, Natsu threw it at the first Demon, before turning to his ranged opponent and rushing him. His fist went right through the Demon's stomach and out its back as another tried to strike him from behind. Right as the weapon was about to make contact, Natsu spun the Demon that was impaled on his arm around, allowing it to have its face caved in by a club.

"Fine. I'll find her myself," Natsu huffed, ripping his arm free and grabbing the club and brought it down on its owner's head.

The Demon screeched as its head folded inward, blood spurting out of its orifices as the blow smashed a majority of its head into its throat region, before Natsu lobbed the club across the room at another ranged Demon, hitting it in the face and, subsequently, removing its head as well.

The remaining Demons all seemed to realize that they weren't going to win this, even if they all rushed him at once. Natsu had not struggled in the slightest to butcher them, barely having even used Magic, let alone have difficulty.

"Natsu!"

Kiara and Jenny finally arrived, barging right into the middle of the Demons, stopping just short of his position.

"Wow? You really don't waste time, huh? Like, go on ahead and find their Guild Master," Jenny said as her arm slowly morphed into a cannon. "Kiara and I have totally got these clowns covered!"

"Jen's right! Find the Guild Master, you'll find Mira!"

Natsu nodded, leaping up three floors and crushing a group of Demons near the stairwell leading even higher, before looking back down at the pair.

"Be careful, I can sense another strong one."

Both girls nodded stiffly as Natsu moved on, carving his way through the resistance and leaving them to clean up the Demons on the lower levels.

***POTD***

Meanwhile, in Era, cleanup was well underway to restore the heart of the Magic Council's seat of power. The Council itself was rather annoyed, however, as it had just been called into an emergency meeting at two in the morning.

Gran Doma scowled as he teleported into his Chairman's Seat, looking around to see the rest of the Council present. Several of the servants were handing out coffee as one Councillor in particular chose to voice what they were all wondering.

"So? Does anyone actually have a clue what this emergency meeting is all about," Siegrain asked, his usual smirk in place as he looked down at the empty podium before them.

"I believe it was one of the Ishgar Four, Saint Siegrain," Ultear replied, Doma's eyes widening slightly in a mixture of shock and fear.

After all, dealing with any of the Ishgar Four always led to some disaster or another.

And, sure enough, as the podium flashed, Saint Warrod Sequen appeared, his usual dopey grin on his face. Doma hated looking at it, as it reminded him of how much power the Ishgar Four held, and how they could do as they pleased.

"Saint Warrod," Yajima muttered, sipping his coffee with a puzzled expression. "It isn't like you to use your position as one of the Four to call the Council?"

"Keh he heh! Well, you know how it is Yaj," Warrod smiled as he slowly stepped up to the podium. "You know, this place could really do with a plant or two? Have you ever considered-?"

"With respect, Saint Warrod," Siegrain cut in, amused by the elder Saint, yet also clearly somewhat tired. "Could we please remain to the point? Perhaps we can discuss potential agricultural additions to Era another time?"

"Ah, fair enough," Warrod chuckled. "Sorry, you all know me! Green on the brain again!"

"Saint Warrod," Doma's voice boomed throughout the room, causing several Council Members to flinch, as they were still waking up. "The summons listed this as urgent, and a matter of national security?"

"Ah, yes … that," Warrod nodded. "Right. Ah, so, you see … I have a job I wish to log with the Council, rather urgently."

"A … job?"

"Yes. I believe that was one of the powers granted to the Wizard Saints, was it not?"

"Saint Warrod," Ultear giggled softly, amused at Doma's look of utter disbelief. "Whilst we admire your dedication, the Council did not need to be summoned at this hour for something like that?"

"Oh? Well alright then. I suppose we can do this later if you'd like," the old man chuckled, clearly unbothered by everything as he turned to leave.

"Saint Warrod," Yajima cut in, causing the tree-like old man to pause mid-step. "Out of curiosity, what job were you asking to be logged?"

"Come on Yajima," Doma huffed. "It can wait-!"

"Actually, I'd also like to know," Siegrain cut in smoothly as he leaned into his seat. "Saint Warrod rarely comes to Era at all, let alone to log a job. I must admit, my curiosity is piqued."

Doma could see that the rest of the Council were onboard with at least hearing out the old Saint. With a deep sigh, he conceded and nodded toward Warrod.

"Very well, what is the job you wish to log with us?"

"Oh, well, it would qualify as a Decade Quest," Warrod began, some Councillors eyes widening slightly at that. "See, I just sent three promising S Class Mages to go and wipe out the Second Circle, so I'd like that logged officially."

Doma was mid sip of his coffee when he suddenly spat it out, spilling the rest down his robes. The rest of the Council were equally as shocked. Siegrain was no longer relaxed, his own eyes wide and Ultear appeared visibly shaken, eyes as wide as they could possibly get.

"YOU DID WHAT!?"

"Well, you see, I sent three promising S Class Mages to-."

"WE HEARD YOU THE FIRST TIME," Doma exploded, slamming his fist down onto his podium. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING!?"

"Warrod my old friend, I think you need to explain yourself," Yajima agreed, completely stunned at Warrod's complete casualness at delivering such shocking news.

"Which part? I thought I explained it quite clearly, didn't I?"

"What Yajima means, is can you explain to us why you have decided to just attack the Second Circle," Ultear responded bluntly. "All Mages are well aware that it is forbidden to attack the Bharam Alliance directly without prior authorization from the Council. Why have you suddenly decided to have three Mages antagonize the Tartaros Guild?"

"Well, they did attack Elira Town by the hundreds, if that's any excuse," Warrod yawned. "They also kidnapped Mirajane Strauss of the Fairy Tail Guild-."

"WHAT," Yajima screeched, his hat nearly flying off of his head. "Has Fairy Tail been informed of this!?"

"No," Warrod replied, which seemed to calm the Council somewhat, as they knew the entire Guild would immediately mobilize and go to war to get Mirajane back.

"Who are the three Mages you've sent in to handle the Second Circle," Siegrain asked, his mind running a million miles a minute.

"Well, there's Jenny Realight, S Class Mage of Blue Pegasus," Warrod began, understanding on most of the Council's faces as they knew Jenny and Mira were close. "And Kiara Lynnes, S Class Mage of Mermaid Heel…"

"Interesting choices," Ultear mused. "Kiara Lynnes is a veteran S Class Mage, and would know her way around dealing with the Demons of Tartaros…"

"Oh, I also sent Natsu Dragneel, S Class Mage of the Fairy Tail Guild as well," Warrod added, almost as an afterthought, even though it was obvious he did that intentionally, as he openly smiled as the entire mood shifted drastically once again.

"DRAGNEEL," Doma roared. "I'M SICK OF THAT BRAT! I WANT HIM PUNISHED FOR THIS-!"

"Well, I mean, Natsu Dragneel won't be punished though, since I'm logging this as an official job," Warrod replied calmly, as all eyes snapped to the Wizard Saint. "Same goes for Kiara Lynnes and Jenny Realight."

"You can't seriously expect us to approve of this," Doma snapped back. "We made the rule not to attack or antagonize the Bharam Alliance in any way because-!"

"It doesn't matter why you did it, Chairman," Warrod cut in, the entire room freezing as they felt a gentle pressure settle over them all. "I want it logged as a Decade Quest for those three Mages who are fighting hard right now."

"Saint Warrod, are you seriously forcing our hand here," Doma asked slowly. "Are you seriously going to abuse your position as a Wizard Saint … as one of the Ishgar Four, just to circumvent the Council!?"

"Well, when you put it that way, yes," Warrod replied bluntly, shocking the entire Council. "Yes, I suppose I am doing that."

None of the Council could even respond to that. Even the usually aloof Siegrain was left speechless as Warrod casually smiled up at them like he hadn't just blatantly disrespected the entire lot of them.

"I expect that Decade Quest to be formed immediately, Chairman, so that those Mages are justly rewarded for their hard work," Warrod replied as he turned on his heel and moved toward the Teleportation Lacrima. "I expect a nice … five million Jewel, to be the reward?"

Smirking, Warrod teleported away, leaving the Council reeling. Almost immediately, Ultear and Siegrain had teleported out, with several others going moments later, leaving only Doma to seethe where he sat.

"Damn them … Damn them! DAMN THOSE FAIRIES!!!"

***POTD***

"There's still quite a few of them," Jenny huffed as she kicked a Demon into a nearby wall before following up with another kick, smashing its head into the concrete hard enough to crack its skull. "Maybe its time to get flashy with it, yeah!?"

"Ya read my mind," Kiara grinned savagely as she dropped down to all fours, opening up her Magical Core. "I'm coming through Jen!"

"Roger," the model smirked as she leapt up to the second floor and started trading blows with multiple Demons.

The wind on the lower level started to pick up as grayish-black wind began to coat Kiara's hands and forearms, as well as her feet and lower legs. All the Demons on the ground floor took a step back as Kiara started stalking toward them on all fours.

"Time to teach all of ya who the number one beast round here is!"

The Demons all quickly realized that the Mage was about to start actually using Magic on them, and quickly responded in kind, firing various Etherious blasts at Kiara's position. However, the S Class Mage simply cackled, licking her lips as she started bounding toward them on all fours whilst dodging their attacks.

"Wind Style – Whirlwind Rhapsody!"

Kiara launched herself at the Demons, spinning around as she was propelled forward by the wind around her legs. The wind on her arms, however, took the shape of solid claws, which sank into the flesh of the Demons as Kiara ripped her way through all in her path.

Clearing twenty meters in a matter of seconds, she came to a swift stop by performing a front flip, firing off two wind-based slash attacks before landing on all fours once again. The two attacks slashed through some of the supports on the ground floor, causing a section of the flooring to collapse, crushing a group of Demons that had been approaching to reinforce those on the ground floor.

"Oi oi? Aren't you lot meant to be Demons," Kiara smirked as she rose back onto two feet, the wind remaining around her arms and legs as she slid into an offensive stance. "I'm hardly trying here?"

Several explosions above only widened her smirk, as five Demons were blasted off the second floor and down to her level, completely charred, as she felt Jenny begin opening up her Magical Core.

"Take Over: Machina Soul – Neptune!"

A bright flash of light upstairs was all the warning the Demons got before over fifteen were blasted away. The floor above Kiara was smashed as Jenny landed next to her, mid-step, as her arm morphed into a trident.

"These clowns are, like, totally pathetic," Jenny smirked as the tip of the three prongs on the trident began to glow a bright orange color. "Maybe this is, like, the reject Guild for Demons?"

"All the better for us Jen," Kiara laughed in reply. "Let's finish up this trash and go help Natsu!"

The pair were about to move, only to pause as they felt the ground begin to shake violently. The Demons all started to retreat as the ground floor started collapsing, forcing both S Class Mages to leap up to the third floor to avoid falling into the large pit that was rapidly revealing itself.

"Eww," Jenny sniffed. "That's like, really damn gross…"

"I really hope all that red stuff isn't what I think it is," Kiara growled as the floor fully collapsed to reveal a giant chamber hidden beneath the Guild Hall.

The chamber itself was comprised of nine statues depicting Demons of varying shape and size. At the center was the statue of a robed man holding a book in his left hand, his right gently stroking the cover.

Behind that statue, however, was a pool of red liquid. It bubbled and boiled, as if being heated by some unknown source, and the Demons down there seemed to be avoiding going anywhere near it.

"Come on Jen," Kiara huffed as she leapt down into the pit, landing on a Demon and knocking it out instantly. "Something ain't right about this place…"

"I'll say," Jenny sniffed as she landed next to Kiara with an audible thud, shaking the ground slightly. "This place is definitely full of Dark Magic."

"A rather obvious answer, wouldn't you agree?"

Both girls looked up toward where the nine statues of the Demons were, and saw a Human standing before one of the female Demons, a hand pressed against her leg fondly.

"Do you both know who these statues represent, Humans," the man asked, stepping away from the womanly statue and into the light.

The man was tall, muscular and had dark skin. His body bore several noticeable scars, visible due to the basic fighting gi he wore. His eyes were firm, dark orange in coloration, and his hair was a light brown.

"I can tell by the look on your faces, that you neither know, nor care," the man sniffed. "Fair enough. After all, why would you believe you need to know?"

"What do ya mean by that," Kiara asked cautiously. "Why would we need to know?"

"Fools. You attack the Second Circle, yet you do not even understand what is contained here," the man scoffed in disgust. "I suppose it won't matter until after everything is all said and done, though. Time to put an end to your little rampage, Legal Mages…"

The man's muscles tensed as a powerful surge of Etherious Aura flooded the room, pushing both Kiara and Jenny back slightly. The top half of the man's gi was slowly ripped as his muscles began to bulge rapidly, his body mass increasing in size until he was three times larger than before.

"HAAAAARGH!"

"The hell is this creep doing," Jenny gasped as she entered a defensive stance. "He was Human a second ago!?"

"I've heard about these kinds of Demons… My Guild Master told me about them, the ones that have grown strong enough to gain a Human form…"

"Wait, seriously!?"

"Yeah," Kiara murmured as the now Demonic form of the entity stepped forward. "They call them, Demons Of Etherious. That's what the whole damn Tartaros Guild is made up of. And, like Saint Warrod said, so are the Guild Masters of the Nine Circles…"

"Wait, so does that mean that this one is the Guild Master?"

"Wrong," the Demon cut in, his voice much darker than before as he stepped out to face them. "I am his second."

A Lieutenant Of The Tartaros Guild

Chief Enforcer Of The Second Circle

SS Rank Dark Mage

The Blazing Demon

Aamon

Standing before them now, Aamon looked almost nothing like he had as a Human. Now, his Human form had been replaced by that of a canine, its hind legs twisted in a rather strange way so that he could stand on them alone, the forelegs now strangely elongated.

His body was completely coated in fur, and his head was completely that of a wolf, complete with the snarling visage and all as its eyes glowed a bright yellow color. The strangest part about it, however, was that its tail was not a tail at all, but a large, seemingly sentient, snake, that kept hissing at them.

"Well shit," Kiara muttered. "At least we got a real fight on our hands now, right?"

"Well, yeah. But, like, you can feel this guy's power, right?"

"Of course. Doesn't mean we won't kick his sorry ass," the Mermaid Heel Mage smirked as she dropped down on all fours. "Me and you Jen, together!"

"Honestly," the Blue Pegasus Mage sighed as she aimed her trident arm at the Demon. "How do you always talk me into this kinda stuff?"

Both girls smirked, before shooting off toward Aamon, who immediately was on the defensive.

Both girls quickly started laying into him with a fierce barrage of punches and kicks, which the Demon easily blocked, before grabbing Jenny's trident arm and yanking her forward.

"Hey-!"

Jenny lurched forward, coughing up blood, as a brutal punch was delivered directly to her sternum, before she was suddenly sent flying across the room. Crashing into the back wall, the S Class Mage bounced off and was immediately rushing back, both arms morphing into large cannons.

"Take Over: Machina Soul – Pluto!"

Firing the first attack at Aamon, it struck the Demon in the side of the head, causing it to stumble and miss a strike on Kiara, who immediately capitalized on it. Flipping toward Aamon, she sank her two claw-like wind-based arm extensions into Aamon's chest, before sinking the feet ones into his stomach.

That was when Jenny fired her second shot, striking Aamon in the head again, this time in the face. The Demon snarled and stumbled backward by several more feet, before grabbing Kiara and ripping her off of him.

"Foolish Legal Mages," Aamon snarled as he leapt high into the air and threw Kiara down into the ground below, forming a sizeable crater as he flipped around to present his snake tail. "Etherious Aura: Curse – Tainted Fire!"

The snake's mouth opened and a large fire blast was fired directly at Kiara's downed form. Coated with Etherious, the attack continued to increase in size the closer it got to the ground, as Kiara staggered to her feet, slightly dazed.

"Take Over: Machina Soul – Neptune!"

Aamon's eyes snapped over to Jenny, who had gone back into Neptune, this time firing her trident arm at his Tainted Fire. The trident became surrounded by water as it smashed into the side of his attack, knocking it off course as it smashed into the right-side wall of the battlefield.

Aamon snarled and vanished with a burst of speed, deciding to rush Jenny and deliver another blow to her. However, he was stopped mere meters before her, as Kiara appeared, gripping the Demon's right arm with both her own, teeth grit from the sheer strength required to stop him.

"No…you don't!"

"Foolish," Aamon spat, the snake rearing up to snap at her, only for Kiara to momentarily surround herself with wind, slashing and cutting into the snake and forcing it to retreat.

Aamon was forced to pull back as Jenny vanished and reappeared at his right side, going in for a kick to his ribs. The Demon leapt back, both hands igniting with dark purple fire as he aimed it directly at the pair.

"Etherious Aura: Curse – Prison Fire!"

The fire was expelled from his hands, quickly morphing into the shape of two nets as the two S Class Mages scrambled to avoid it. Kiara dropped to all fours and directly rushed Aamon as he performed the attack, performing a vicious shoulder charge that sent the Demon flying back several feet before he managed to regain his footing.

What neither girl realized, however, was that Aamon's attack hadn't ended, and Kiara was quickly engulfed by the purple flames, not having seen them as they were behind her. Jenny moved to assist, but Aamon nearly caught her with the other one, forcing her to retreat.

"One down," the Demon smirked as he pulled the net with Kiara toward him, the S Class Mage struggling to get free. "One to go!"

"Damn it," Kiara hissed, feeling the flames licking her skin as she was dragged closer to her opponent. "Come on Jen!"

"I know, gosh," Jenny huffed as she vanished in a burst of speed, appearing right in Aamon's face, despite having been half way across the cave mere moments prior. "Take Over: Machina Soul – Mars!"

Both of Jenny's arms morphed into swords as she engaged Aamon in a one on one. The Demon was on the defensive after he tried to tank the first hit, only for the blade to slice into his upper left arm. Jenny was relentless, treating the sword arms like they were fists as she tried to stab him over and over again.

The Demon was quick, however. He quickly adapted to Jenny's strategy and quickly managed to grab both blades with his right hand, not even wincing as they cut into his hand slightly.

"This is it for you," Aamon sneered as he struck Jenny in the gut, launching her into the sky before dropping onto all fours as the snake tail began charging up a powerful fire attack to, presumably, finish her off.

"OI!"

Aamon's eyes slowly widened, arching his neck back to where Kiara should have been secured, only to see his flaming net slowly exploding open, and Kiara emerging, her body fully cloaked in wind.

"Wind Magic – Hurricane Hellcat!"

Aamon felt Kiara's entire body slam into his, the wind ripping into his flesh as she started to sever his left leg and right hand. He then sensed a large surge of Magic from above, as Jenny shot toward them, her legs fused together to form a massive two-handed sword.

The blade pierced him right through the skull, skewering him, as the two S Class Mages tore him apart into four bloodied pieces.

Kiara collapsed almost as soon as her attack was over, her body possessing multiple burns. Jenny immediately exited her Take Over Form, dropping to one knee and vomiting up blood from the damage Aamon had done to her insides.

As for Aamon, his head was still intact and his body twitched. The Demon was clearly furious, yet also in complete disbelief at what happened, as its body slowly started to break down into dust.

"I … return … to … Lord … Zeref," the Demon murmured, before breaking down entirely.

Jenny and Kiara looked to one another and grinned, whilst also wincing in pain. The two girls moved closer to one another, before laying down.

"You okay Jen? You got hit pretty hard?"

"I'll live," Jenny replied faintly. "Just … hurts to … do anything right now."

"Yeah, I feel that," Kiara laughed, wincing as she felt her burns. "Some of this shit is surely gonna scar, huh?"

"Let's just be happy … that we killed that thing," Jenny huffed. "I'm kinda, like … worried about Natsu now, though?"

"Saint Warrod had faith in him," Kiara replied as they both looked up at the Guild Hall above them. "We've just gotta trust in him, just like Saint Warrod does."

Jenny nodded stiffly, too sore to do much of anything else as the pair laid there, recovering as much as they could, victorious over the number two of the Second Circle.

***POTD***

Elsewhere, at a familiar meeting spot, another emergency meeting was being held. This one was in response to the one in Era, and was being held by none other than the Bharam Alliance.

"We seem to have a situation, gentlemen," the eldest of the three leaders muttered. "Tartaros' Second Circle is being knowingly attacked by three S Class Mages."

"One of which, might I add, has become someone of significant interest," the youngest of the three added quietly. "Those results Bluenote recovered from the MPI scan on Dragneel, how are they?"

"Fascinating," the oldest one replied with a nod, waving his hand to project the reading.

Natsu Dragneel – 44,829 MPI

"It was thanks to Azuma's quick thinking, that we were even able to retrieve this reading," the older man continued. "However, recent news has come to light that suggests that even as extraordinarily high as this is for a Mage in their early twenties, this isn't even Natsu Dragneel at his full power."

"Is it confirmed that he's leading the attack on the Second Circle," the dark-skinned man asked curiously. "Do we even know why, or how this came to be?"

"I currently have the Overseer of the Second Circle en route to investigate this matter personally," the youngest replied calmly. "I have given them free reign to mete out whatever punishment they deem fit, even if it means letting the S Class Mages go."

"Is that wise?"

"It is … what I was advised to do," the youngest replied, clearly somewhat conflicted as the other two reacted with mild shock.

"You mean-?"

"Yes Gentlemen, I did give the order."

All three figures rose as the Projection Lacrima fuzzed momentarily, before a projection of a man appeared at the center of the dais.

The man appeared to be middle aged, but was very well built, with numerous scars and other battle damage across his dark skin. He had short, white hair, and some white stubble across his face. He was dressed in plain black combat robes, and wore no other clothing at all aside from a pair of sunglasses, which were currently atop his forehead.

The man was laying down on a sun chair, a glass of liquor in one hand, and a cigarette in the other. He took a drag, exhaled, then turned to face the three leaders of the Bharam Alliance.

"You three didn't think I wasn't watching, did you?"

"Of course we knew you still had eyes and ears in Fiore," the eldest of the group scoffed. "As you do in every country."

"We just didn't think you'd want to involve yourself in something so … basic," the dark-skinned man added, eliciting a small chuckle from the man.

"I'll admit that my time has been divided as of late. The war in Scarlione has dragged on far too long, and events here in Fiore are still in the early developmental phase. Besides… I'm currently on vacation."

"Be that as it may, why ask me to allow the Overseer of the Second Circle to spare the S Class Mages?"

"There are things you are not yet privy to. Things that must happen a certain way, especially if we want to see Lord Zeref again. Ensuring that outcome is all that matters, not the amount of deaths incurred along the way."

"Fair enough," the dark-skinned man shrugged. "This should be a good test to see if the brat is even worthy of our attention. If he can't beat one of the Circle, he's not worth our time."

"I want a report on this incident seven days from now," the figure said as he took another drag from his cigarette. "The works."

"It will be done," all three leaders replied in unison.

"Good. We'll talk in a week," the figure replied before his projection faded away.

"Well, that answers that," the eldest chuckled. "Guess all we can do at this point is wait for the Overseer of the Second Circle to return and report their findings."

"Indeed," the youngest nodded gently. "I'm rather curious about this … Natsu, and why our benefactor is so interested in him? But, either way, we shall soon learn the truth…"

All three nodded as they moved on to other topics, deciding not to dwell on the currently unfolding incident as it would be resolved soon enough.

***POTD***

"It seems those dirty Humans are getting rather rowdy, my darling," Agares sighed as he gently played with Mira's hair, much to her chagrin. "But fear not, they won't be able to split us apart, my sweet! We are destined to be together, and our love will crush their feeble attempts to drive us apart!"

'Natsu, hurry up,' Mira whined internally as she struggled to endure the constant jabbering of this really strange Demon. 'I think I'm about to lose my mind here!'

"Ahh … My darling Mirajane's hair is so soft and long and perfect and cute and pure and-!"

The entire building shook violently once again, nearly knocking Agares over, as the Demon grabbed onto the bed to maintain his balance. Another violent shake was then followed by the sound of screaming just down the hall from where they were, prompting Agares to slowly rise to his feet.

"I apologize my darling, but, it is time for me to deal with the one who dares to try and manipulate you against me," Agares sighed dramatically as he deliberately held onto her hand whilst making to walk toward the door.

Mira cringed in disgust as he feigned being pulled back by her, dramatically flopping onto the bed beside her and having the gall to appear surprised about it.

"Oh my goodness Mirajane! I-I know we struggle when we are apart but-but I must face this intruder…"

'Kill me… Actually kill me now.'

"Perhaps … before I go … we could …"

Mira cringed again, knowing full well what Agares wanted from her, and knowing full well that she would do everything she could to ensure he wouldn't get it.

"Um … maybe after," Mira replied in her best attempt at being sincere, though her disgust shone through quite noticeably regardless.

This, however, went wholly unnoticed by the Demon, who lit up as he leapt to his feet and seemed to celebrate her response, as if it were the greatest thing since sliced bread.

The door to the room exploded open, prompting Mira to immediately try to sit up, and Agares to move in front of Mira protectively.

Mira was shocked when Natsu walked in, completely caked in the blood and gore of countless Demons, his eyes hard and alert. The moment he saw Mira, they softened for the briefest moment at seeing her unharmed, before moving toward the one who had captured her.

"So, you must be the man that is trying to keep my beloved Mirajane from me," Agares began, his speech and mannerisms being overly dramatic to the extreme. "I swear, I will not allow you to-!"

Agares was suddenly punched so hard in the face, Mira thought she heard the sound of bones crunching, before he was belted out the wall of the bedroom and into the marshy exterior surrounding the Second Circle.

Natsu immediately moved to Mira and used Crash Magic to undo her bindings. He was precise in his actions, quickly checking her over before nodding to himself.

"Natsu…"

"I'm glad you're alright Mira," he replied neutrally, clearly still on guard as he looked back toward the hole in the wall. "Did he do anything to you?"

"No. He wanted me to be his Queen and have sex with him, among other things, but I managed to stall him," Mira sighed as she rose to his feet. "Honestly, if you, Kiara and Jenny hadn't come, he may well have forcibly done so…"

"Don't think about that," Natsu replied firmly as he looked back to her. "I promised you we'd deal with this, didn't I? I may have made a mistake and let my guard down in the restaurant, but I'm going to end this whole thing, right here."

"How dare you," Agares snapped, leaping back through the hole in the window as he wiped the blood off of his face. "What kind of savage bastard are you!? Who takes a cheap shot at someone when they're speaking like that!?"

"I couldn't care less about what a disgusting creep like you has to say," Natsu snarled as he moved to block Mira from him. "You kidnapped one of my close friends, try and lay your filthy hands on her … Oh, you'd better believe I'm going to kill you."

"Foolish boy," Agares snarled. "Do you have any idea who you're messing with!?"

"I know you're the Guild Master of the Second Circle, don't really care about that either," Natsu sniffed in response as he began powering up. "I'm gonna put you in the fucking ground for laying a finger on Mira-."

"Mirajane is destined to be mine," Agares screeched, the entire building shaking violently as the Demon started to release his Etherious Aura. "You will pay for your interference with our happily ever after!"

"Mira," Natsu said sharply, snapping the white-haired Mage out of her shocked state. "You need to start running, since this will most likely get ugly."

"Right," Mira nodded as she quickly made for the door, only for Agares to try and stop her.

"No Mirajane, my sweet-!"

Agares was cut off as Natsu blocked his attempt to grab her, cocking back his right fist and striking the Demon who blocked last minute with his forearms. The ground cracked from the force as Mira managed to escape, taking off down the hallway, further infuriating the Demon.

"Nononononononononono! NOOOOOOOO! SHE'S MINE," Agares screeched as Natsu prepared himself for the Demon to attack. "Get out of my way, Human scum!"

Agares aimed his palms directly at Natsu, extending his arms fully outward. What Natsu wasn't prepared for, however, was for Agares' forearms to suddenly puff up to five times their regular size.

"Oh shit-!"

"Etherious Aura: Curse – Quake Stream!"

The moment the Demon's forearms deflated, Natsu's body was struck internally by a powerful rumbling, his insides feeling like they were taking an absolute beating. He then was propelled right back, smashing through countless walls before managing to right himself, skidding to a stop in what appeared to be some sort of library.

"Bloody fuck," Natsu coughed, spitting out a glob of blood. "That was like getting hit by a portable earthquake…"

Leaping from where he was, the floor seemingly exploded, as Agares appeared through the hole Natsu had made in the wall, firing off multiple lower powered quake attacks. It quickly became apparent that this Demon, despite being weird, was indeed powerful.

"Right, let's do this then," Natsu huffed as fire exploded from his form. "Flame Drive!"

Agares seemed genuinely shocked as Natsu's form shifted into a semi-draconian one. This shock was momentary, however, as the rage quickly returned to fuel the Demon's lust for battle.

"Transform if you wish, it won't make a difference," Agares snarled as both combatants vanished and appeared high in the air at the center of the library.

They began exchanging a fierce flurry of punches and kicks, with Agares shocked that his low powered quakes weren't doing anywhere near the same amount of damage as they had done earlier. The exchange ended as Natsu got the upper hand, striking the Demon in the gut before delivering several consecutive blows to the face, before spinning around and kicking him in the neck.

Agares was sent crashing through several floors and onto ground level, before skidding along said ground floor until he was again brought outside the Second Circle. The Demon grit his teeth and flipped up onto his feet, skidding to a stop just before the murky water that surrounded the place.

He saw Natsu emerge from the Second Circle, wrapped in flame as he cocked back his right fist. Bringing both arms together, he prepared to match it with a strike of his own.

"Etherious Aura: Curse – Quake Stream!"

"Fire Dragon King's Demolition Fist!"

Natsu threw his punch from a distance, deciding to see just how strong the Demon's Quake Stream actually was. When the two attacks clashed, he was genuinely surprised to see that Agares' attack actually pushed his back somewhat before both cancelled out.

"The things I get myself into, I swear," Natsu muttered as he stalked down toward Agares' position.

The Demon didn't seem to bothered by the fact that Natsu had stopped his attack. If anything, he seemed almost … pleased by it.

"It seems your overconfidence in your strength shall be your undoing, Human," Agares smirked as the entire surrounding area began to shake violently. "I can win this … HANDILY SO!"

Natsu watched as Agares' form began to ripple, the skin on his Human form darkening into a dull grey colour. He dropped to a crouch as his form grew taller, his suit tearing as he bulked up, but only slightly.

Etherious flooded the area as the Demon entered his Etherious Form. He was now ten feet tall, retaining his slightly slim figure, yet having put on more muscle as well. His hands were now claws, his palms having large holes in them, undoubtedly where the quake attacks would be generated from. His upper body was covered in a chitinous Armor, along with the symbol of Tartaros on his right pectoral.

From his back, protruded two wings, each around three meters in length and slightly torn at the ends. His legs had thickened out, with claw-like feet and a long, spiky tail with a morning star like appendage at the end of it having protruded from his tailbone.

Glowing, bright yellow eyes locked onto Natsu's position, as the Demon roared with laughter, revealing its razor-sharp teeth.

"You foolish Humans, always messing with things you can scarcely comprehend! I am Agares, Master of the Second Circle! And you … are MINE TO KILL!"

The more Agares yelled, the more the area shook. Clearly, his Curse was earthquake based in nature, as he even passively affected the environment with it in his Etherious Form.

"The only one being killed here will be you, Demon," Natsu snarled back as he coated his form in crimson flame. "I've had to deal with enough of your kind over the last week!"

"I'd like to see you try," Agares snarled as the pair shot toward one another, clashing fists and setting off a sizeable explosion.

***POTD***

Mira made it to the ground floor of the Second Circle, managing to avoid the panicking Demons who were scrambling about in fear. She was shocked to see the giant hole beneath the Guild Hall, her eyes scanning the area below until they locked onto two familiar figures.

"Kiara! Jenny!"

The two S Class Mages looked up at Mira, both a little tired as they stumbled to their feet. Kiara then grabbed Jenny and leapt back out of the hole, landing next to Mira as Jenny immediately pulled the white-haired Mage in for a hug.

"Damn Mira, you, like, totally got yourself into some deep shit, didn't you?"

"You can make fun of me later Jenny," Mira replied quickly as the entire building shook violently, parts of the wall nearby collapsing. "We need to get out of here and to a safe distance!"

"Natsu's fighting the Guild Master I'm guessing," Kiara asked, picking up Jenny again who was still rather sore in her stomach region. "He seemed pretty damn pissed about all this, so I'd believe it if it was him doing this."

"It is, but the Guild Master is stronger than even I thought he was," Mira replied as they circled around the hold in the floor and made it outside, only to pause upon seeing Natsu and Agores slugging it out with one another.

The Demon slugged Natsu across the right cheek, with Natsu delivering a fierce counter to his left. This continued on, with neither pulling back as the ground around them was blasted apart from the sheer force of their strikes.

"Damn. Natsu's gotta be a strong one," Jenny muttered quietly. "I figured he was stronger than me … but … shit!"

"Ya can gawk at him later, Jen," Kiara huffed, also somewhat mesmerized by the battle. "Mira's right, we're not in any condition to be here. We'd just get in his way."

Jenny nodded as the three retreated toward the large mangrove Warrod had brought them out on. Even from that distance, they could see Natsu and Agores fighting, their blows lightning up the dark and murky marshland.

As for Mira, she watched on without comment. She didn't need to pray for him to win, because, she knew he simply would.

He'd promised her he'd win, and Natsu wasn't going to break that promise. She knew it, though she inwardly felt bad that half of this situation was entirely her fault, due to her weakness.

'Fight Natsu … Fight and win! I know you'll beat this perverted Demon!'

Seeing the flames around Natsu grow in intensity, Mira steeled her features, resolved to watch his fight to the end. She believed; she knew he would triumph over the Second Circle.

Natsu promised her that much, after all