30

The area was littered in a mixture of smoke, flame, blood, and death.

At the center of the complete massacre, was Natsu. He didn't appear even slightly winded, as he casually strolled past the hundreds of dead bodies, blood dripping from his fingers as he stopped before a still living Mage.

Without even looking at the terrified man, Natsu crushed his skull beneath his armored boot, a loud squelching sound accompanying a ghastly scream. Both went wholly ignored by Natsu, as he continued walking forward.

"So, they actually did sneak off and activate Nirvana," Natsu mused idly. "Wasn't expecting it to be a giant beam?"

"A giant beam it may be Natsu, but you can undoubtedly feel the stream of Magical Power coming from it? Because of our combined state, we have no chance of being affected by it, but this beam appears to toy with peoples personalities. I noticed it when we were fighting the trash here, that some of them stopped fighting entirely. It seems to immediately affect the weak, whilst the strong can resist its effects?"

"Well, I guess that means people like Erza, Elise and Gray will be fine. I doubt Jura would succumb to it either? No, my main worry is the rest that formed the Alliance between our Guilds, since a lot of them were far weaker than even Wendy in terms of raw power?"

"Indeed. I didn't want to maintain this form for an extended period of time… But as it stands, it may be our only hope of entering the beam and finding a way to stop it? Even you as you were prior to our merging, would succumb to its effects, if you weren't being shielded by my Divine influence. Standing before that thing as a mortal, would most certainly not bode well…"

"Yeah, well, we'll see how this all pans out," Natsu sighed. "Something is telling me that this is just the start? The Oracion Seis seem sure that this is some sort of weapon, right? Sure, it can do some weird stuff with personalities, but what good is it if you can't even move it?"

"Come now Natsu don't jinx us! We should focus on removing this opposing force before we move forward, so it doesn't come back to bite us later, right?"

"Yeah, I know… But we should focus on meeting up with Erza and the others as soon as we can, since they might know something that we don't."

"You're the one in control of this body, Natsu, and I'm just along for the ride," Eliza replied casually. "I was merely offering my insight to the matter?"

"Insight is fine, but I never made you the boss of me," Natsu grinned playfully, eliciting a snort from the War Goddess.

"Oh? And here I was under the impression that I gave you the power to defeat an army with a mere wave of your hand? Perhaps I was wrong in assuming I get to order you to do things on occasion?"

"I suppose the occasional order is fine," Natsu smirked in response.

"Funny man," Eliza replied, as they vanished.

***POTD***

The trio had been backtracking the path Wendy had taken to reach Erza, until they finally arrived at the area where the cave once stood. The entire land had been leveled flat, all that remained was charred earth, destroyed weaponry, and a sea of blood and mutilated corpses.

"How on Earthland did this happen," Erza gasped, moving to block Wendy's view of the grisly sight, though it was obvious that she was too late in that regard.

"This is Natsu and Mother's work, that much I'm certain of. The precision of the cuts to these Mages, combined with the way the earth has been scorched, and the sheer savagery… Their power must be terrifying to behold," Elise muttered quietly.

"What do you mean it was Natsu and Eliza? This destruction is…."

"Erza, look around you, just LOOK at the carnage!? These men have been completely and utterly brutalized! There has to be almost a thousand dead bodies in this area, and yet not a single trace of the one who killed them?"

"There must be some other explanation though Elise," Erza replied weakly. "I know Natsu isn't exactly opposed to killing, but-."

"Have you forgotten Natsu's past, Erza," Elise shot back. "He's a battle-hardened warrior! He's trained to do exactly what we're looking at!"

"B-But the sheer scale of devastation though…"

"Erza, you underestimate the power of both the Dragons and the Gods. Both possess power that far exceeds the norm of our world. Natsu and I have been trained to the point where our powers could cause at least city-wide destruction. What you're seeing here, this is something fit for a man of the battlefield like him-."

"We already know that Natsu is immensely powerful, what's your point?"

"Think Erza," Elise snapped back. "Natsu alone could destroy a town with ease. He was raised by a Dragon, a being that wields power beyond the understanding and comprehension of Modern Mages! Now he's combined his already incredible power, with an actual God, in a form of fusion! No, fusion isn't exactly the right word... Tell me, Erza, have you ever heard of a Unison Raid?"

"A Unison Raid? I've heard of Unison Raids before, but this doesn't seem like one?"

"And you'd be correct," Elise nodded in response. "What they have done, falls under the same category of Lost Magic as a Unison Raid, however."

"So, what is it?"

"Its name has been lost to history, but there was a specific name for what they've done. It definitely bore the name of Unison, though of what it was precisely, I'd say only Mother would know? If I were to call it anything, I'd call it a Unison Merger, but I'm sure it's true name was better."

"Well, either way, they seem to have gotten the results they wanted," Erza replied with a frown, as she gazed out at the sea of corpses. "All these Dark Mages, and they didn't stand a chance…"

"Yes … isn't that nice," Elise scoffed. "Mother ran off with Natsu and performed a type of Unison not seen in this era… without me. How wonderful!"

Erza looked over to Elise, clearly quite confused, as the War God Slayer seemed genuinely annoyed for some reason. She then placed a hand on the side of her head, and grit her teeth.

"Elise… You're acting quite strange, are you okay? I've never heard you speak like this before? Are you worried about Natsu and Eliza, I'm sure they're okay...?"

Elise was clutching the sides of her head, snarling, as she dropped to one knee.

"Elise are you-?"

"Mother… Why should I be worried about Mother…. She has Natsu now, after all ..... A new War God Slayer to train up … One that can endure her harsh training far better than I ever could!"

"Elise what are-?"

"Shut up Erza, you wouldn't understand! Without Mother, I'm nothing! A nobody! Without her, I would probably be dead, or a slave somewhere! If it wasn't for Natsu, she'd still be here, she wouldn't have abandoned me!"

"Elise, what's wrong!? Why are you acting like this!?"

"You know nothing of my struggles Erza… NOTHING! I went through hell and back to reach where I am, and this is how she thanks me!? By running off to Natsu, just because he's STRONGER than me!?"

"Wendy, get behind me," Erza commanded the young Dragon Slayer in a firm tone, as the silent Wendy merely nodded, and did as she was told. "What happened to her, it's like she's a completely different person? I wonder… Does it have anything to do with-."

Erza's musings were cut short, as Elise summoned two blades to her sides, her pupils dilating, as a sadistic grin etched its way onto her face.

"If that's how Natsu and Mother want to play it, fine! Natsu took something precious from me, so I'll take something precious from him!"

"Wendy, you need to run," Erza shouted, as she began to use her Requip Magic. "Find Natsu!"

"Running off to him won't do you any good Wendy; he's just going to take until you have nothing left!"

"Requip – Black Wing Armor!"

Erza emerged from the light, clad in an all-black Armor that, as the name implies, had a pair of black colored wings at its back. In her right hand was an ornate black long sword. And, in her right, was a matching battle axe.

Elise rushed towards Erza, and the two began to trade a series of lightning-fast attacks as Wendy watched on in horror, too afraid to even move.

"It's only a matter of time Erza… I'll take you away from him soon enough … AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

'There's no use trying to reason with her, something's clearly not right here? Elise isn't the type of person to act like this; the way she's acting is almost the polar opposite to what she normally is...'

"It should have been ME that Mother relied on to lay waste to these fools… ME! From the moment Natsu came on the scene, it's been nothing but Natsu Natsu Natsu… Why would she leave me, when I've done nothing but sacrifice myself for her!?"

'This is insane; her attacks have serious power behind them! Not only that, she managed to enter her blood trance state, just by looking at me, which means she seriously means to kill me! I can't stall for time or plan; this is a fight to the death!'

As Erza and Elise started brutally assaulting one another, Wendy could only flee to the edge of the battlefield and hide, no longer sure of what she should do.

***POTD***

As Natsu advanced closer to the focal point of Nirvana, Eliza's sudden gasp had him immediately halt in place.

"What is it?"

"I don't know how it happened, but Elise is trying to kill Erza-!"

"WHAT!? What do you mean Elise is trying to kill Erza," Natsu hissed, as he immediately turned on his heel, and began sprinting to their location. "Aren't you the one who said that the strong aren't affected!?"

"I did say that, yes! However, there was one factor I didn't realize was involved… Human emotion! Something must have either made her sad, angry, or confused? And, whatever Magic the beam is using has taken hold... We must hurry back as soon as possible! If she's snapped, Erza won't stand a chance if she can't use her Armor of the Brilliant Flame!"

"I swear, when I get my hands on Brain," Natsu snarled, envisioning himself torturing the Dark Guild Master, only for Eliza to refocus his attention.

"Focus on the problem at hand Natsu! Look up ahead, that's the battlefield we finished earlier, they must be there!?"

Natsu raced towards the area, and arrived rather quickly, only to see two monsters fighting it out. Erza had decided to deploy her Armor of the Brilliant Flame, despite his warnings about what would happen. And Elise had entered her Imperfect Demigod state, despite Eliza warning her against doing so.

"This is far worse than I could have imagined.," Natsu muttered, as his ring picked up on their Magical signatures. "How did this happen!?"

Erza Scarlett – 122,305 MPI

Elise Faulkner – 130,012 MPI

"I think Erza didn't enter that state by choice… Erza also seems to be affected by the beam now, just look at how furious she is," Eliza noted. "They are both using their strongest forms to combat one another, likely throwing everything they have out to kill each other."

As Natsu pondered Eliza's observations, he noticed Wendy hiding off to the side, looking completely and utterly terrified. He dashed over to her position, and immediately pulled her into a hug.

"Wendy, thank the Gods I got here in time," Natsu sighed in relief. "You aren't hurt anywhere, are you!?"

Tears began to form in Wendy's eyes as she hugged Natsu back, and began to cry.

"I don't know what happened Natsu!? One minute, we were all happy and heading out to find you, and the next thing I knew they were fighting! And…"

"Shh, it's okay Wendy," Natsu replied gently, holding the girl close as he looked over at Erza and Elise brutally assaulting one another. "No need to cry, none of this is your fault. It's because of the big beam over there. Somehow, that beam can manipulate people's personalities, and it managed to get both Erza and Elise…"

"You have to stop them Natsu," Wendy sniffed, seeming to have somewhat calmed down. "They're seriously going to kill each other!"

"You stay here Wendy, I'll stop both of them right now," Natsu replied with a serious expression.

"I'd suggest grabbing the Lacrima out of Erza's Armor while you have the chance, Natsu," Eliza suggested.

"Easier said than done Eliza. In the state that those two are in, they won't just willingly let me break this up. I'm gonna have to take Elise out first, then pin Erza down somehow, without either knocking her out, or breaking the Armor itself…"

"They are quite feisty right now, aren't they? Though, in the state we're in currently, it shouldn't be too much of a challenge, surely?"

"Laying a finger on those girls in a violent way will be challenge enough," Natsu replied with a frown, eliciting a hum of understanding from Eliza.

"I completely understand, and sympathize with you. However, we have no choice but to harm them. Right now, as they are, they pose the biggest threat to the rest of the group, and to themselves."

Natsu simply nodded in response, knowing full well he had no other choice in the matter. After taking a deep breath, he walked out onto the battlefield, and instantly, Elise and Erza stopped fighting, and looked in his direction.

"Well, look who it is!? The Divine one has graced us with his presence," Elise sneered, as Natsu simply ignored the comment.

"I've come here to stop the two of you. I'll give you one chance to back down. This means both of you, do I make myself clear Erza?"

Erza simply growled in response, as the flames began to flare up around her position.

"While I am loath to team up with Erza, we stand no chance individually… What do you say Scarlett? Let's team up to get him out of the way, so we can get back to killing each other!?"

Erza looked between the two several times, before she began to speak. Her voice, however, was vile, almost guttural. Like a beast that was mimicking speech, and it certainly didn't sound like Erza at all.

"Natsu is my mate…. However, I must remove you, in order to protect him! I'll fight to stop him from interfering, but no killing! If you try to kill him, I'll eat you alive," she growled, as Elise grinned again.

"You know, considering they couldn't handle these forms before, they're doing a great job of it now..."

"No, they aren't. The only reason they have any control at all, is because of instinct and hatred. Erza just referred to you as her mate, a Dragon term, as you very well know. The Dragon Force state she's in is still in full control. And as for Elise, she's discarded certain aspects of her Demigod State, just for more strength."

"You're right, Natsu sighed, as the two immediately rushed his position. "Guess I've got no choice…"

"Fire Dragon Queen's Scatterstrike!"

Summoning over a dozen kunai, Erza covered them in flames and threw them at Natsu, who just casually leaned to the left and dodged them.

"Kunai Erza? That doesn't seem like you at all? Moreover, who gave you permission to classify your Fire Dragon Slayer attacks with the Queen classification? You have most certainly neither earned that, nor was that attack even remotely powerful enough to warrant it!"

Natsu, having dodged Erza's attack, had moved right into the path of Elise, who was in the air above Natsu with an Ebony Warhammer

"War God's Twenty Tonne Enlightenment!"

Bringing the hammer down Elise tore up the ground, the shock-wave being felt for miles, yet Natsu easily sidestepped it, much like he had done with Erza's attack only moments prior.

"All that power, but you were too slow to hit me… Try watching your opponent's movements next time too," Natsu sighed, as he kneed Elise in the face, sending her flying across the battlefield.

"I must get rid of her Natsu… FOR US!"

"Erza, the real you wouldn't want that," Natsu replied calmly. "And deep down, you know it, don't you?"

Erza growled in response, as she began to surround Natsu with fire. It was a move that thoroughly confused him, as she knew his natural immunity to the element.

"Erza, I know you're in a feral state right now, but …. Really? Fire doesn't have any effect on me, you know-?"

Natsu was hit with several ebony arrows to the chest, as he stumbled backward in shock.

"They got you there," Eliza said, in a slightly amused tone.

"Shut up! I don't really want to fight them, do I!? But I guess this proves I need to stop screwing around…"

Pulling the arrows out of his chest, Natsu immediately destroyed the fire twister Erza was generating with a wave of his hand, and rushed towards Elise.

Striking Elise in the gut, the War God Slayer lurched forward. Clearly, she'd never been hit as hard as Natsu had just struck her, which meant that his next attack was all he needed to end things.

Punching Elise in the side of the face, she was immediately removed from her Demigod's Ascension, and rendered unconscious, as she was thrown hundreds of meters away from the impact.

"She's going feel that for a while," Eliza sighed as Natsu began to walk towards Erza.

"Stay still Erza, this won't take long…"

The feral Erza roared at Natsu, who simply ignored it, and continued walking forward. Once Natsu was in range, she lunged at him, and bit into his neck with her razor sharp teeth.

"Sleep, Erza," Natsu whispered, as he ripped the Lacrima from her Armor, and she fell to the ground unconscious.

Natsu clutched the side of his neck Erza had bitten into; blood began to pour from the wound, as he used his own fire to quickly cauterize it.

"It's a shame the God Slayer healing factor didn't carry over, huh?"

"It's as I said Natsu. We trade immortality for power in this merged state. At least you know what you're doing, though, right?"

"Natsu, why did you do that!? I could have healed you, and it wouldn't have left a single mark," Wendy cried out, as she rushed over.

Natsu and Eliza shared a deep sigh, having forgotten about Wendy's presence for a moment.

"Sorry Wendy, I got caught up in the moment. Hopefully that punch knocked Elise back to her senses? Because, without her, our counterattack will be hindered quite a bit?"

"Counterattack!? Natsu, they're both unconscious! You can't expect them to do anything!?"

"Wendy, my punch probably nearly tore Elise's face off, yet go look at her, she's fine. That's the advantage of the God Slayers over us. As for Erza, well, she'll just be in shock for a while…"

"You're right Natsu, her face is healing itself! I've never seen magic like this before!?"

"Did you have to hit her that hard Natsu," Eliza snapped in his mind. "Surely that wasn't necessary!?"

"Sorry Eliza, I held back as much as I could on the punch. It's like you said, we need to adjust. Imagine if I used Crash Magic behind it? There'd be nothing left of her, would there?"

"I'll let you off this time because we need to hurry. I don't know if you've realized yet, but the ground is shaking ever so slightly, and has been doing so for the last five minutes…"

"Now that you mention it, something does seem off? There's a possibility that it's just from the beam over there, right?"

"No, there's something else about this. Something far stronger than Magic at play," Eliza murmured in reply. "I can't quite put my finger on it, but its familiar…"

"Sounds like…we need to get moving," Erza grunted, as she slowly regained consciousness.

"Back with us already Erza," Natsu sighed, as he tapped on the Lacrima he was holding.

"I'm sorry Natsu, I had no control over myself," Erza replied as she shakily rose to her feet. "I'm sorry for biting you…"

"Its alright," Natsu smiled, as he pulled her in for a gentle hug. "Like you said, you had no control over yourself, right?"

"Well, this is touching Erza dear, but please remember that Natsu's being piloted by the both of us? If you wish to engage in lovey-dovey stuff, do so after we separate?"

"Natsu who was that," Wendy asked confusedly, with Erza gaping in shock at Eliza's voice coming directly out of Natsu's mouth.

"Elise's Mother. She's a God, so she can't manifest unless Elise lets her, or if she's unconscious. In this case though, we're merged together."

"That's right," Erza gasped, as she separated from Natsu. "Before Elise changed, she mentioned that the two of you did something that was similar to a Unison Raid!"

"Ah, so Elise did pay attention that day," Eliza replied. "She is correct in saying that it was similar to a Unison Raid. The correct Earthland terminology for what we have done, would be a Unison Pact."

"A Unison Pact? How does that work," Erza asked, clearly confused. "I've never even heard of it?"

"Of course you haven't heard of it. In fact none of you should know about Unison Pacts, since one has not been performed upon this Reality since the Dragon/Human Wars around a millennia ago."

"So, what are the specifics of a Unison Pact then? I'd like to know what I've signed up for?"

"Well Natsu, a Unison Pact is far superior to that of a Unison Raid. Do any of you know what a Unison Raid actually does?"

"A Unison Raid is a combination of two Mages Magic, in order to create a stronger, and more potent, type of Magic… Right?"

"Erza dear, that is probably the most basic definition," Eliza replied plainly. "But yes, put simply, that's what it is. A Unison Pact, however, is on a far larger scale. In order for two beings to perform a Unison Pact, certain requirements must be met."

"Oh, this should be good," Natsu sighed.

"Firstly, both the beings must be extremely powerful and durable, in order to survive the initial phase of transforming. Second, the beings must choose someone to control the body chosen to host the Unison Pact. They are allowed to change the one in control, however, it must be at the agreement of both sides. Lastly, each side must temporarily sacrifice certain aspects of their power, in order to allow the Pact to sustain itself for an indefinite period of time."

"Hang on, I never agreed to give up anything! And you're telling me this Pact is eating some of my abilities right now!?"

"You won't lose your abilities, and neither will I. All the Pact is doing is taking them as a sort of contract, just to ensure that we have reason to revert back to our original selves. I gave up my Immortality and Healing Factor as my half of the Pact, and you gave up the ability to use your Dragon Force. Also, you gave up your ability to eat fire, but to be honest that last one is unnecessary, considering what power we currently possess."

"Yeah, I didn't even realize I couldn't eat fire right now, but I don't need really need to. My power feels so vast…"

"That's because of the trade-off. We traded certain abilities, and all our other areas were drastically increased. One thing I don't think the pact expected was for a God like me to be involved; we have by all accounts become a walking apocalypse with this power. It's a good thing that we are using it for good, otherwise there aren't many who could stop us."

"So what else is in a Unison Pact?"

"Well Natsu, it is as the name suggests, a pact between us. It will be maintained until we choose to dissolve it voluntarily, or, under the extremely unlikely circumstance, one of us forcibly breaks it. Another thing to know is that we are technically a new being, comprised of parts of both our separate forms."

"I was going to say that Natsu does look rather feminine for some reason… And your hair isn't really that wild, but it's kind of straighter and longer. And your skin is much smoother all round? It's like you're a girl, but you're a guy… this is really weird?"

"Hey Erza, it's just both of us mixed together, right? It must have grabbed physical traits from both of us. So, if we were to choose you as the initial being to host the pact, would I be a girl right now?"

"Yes. We maintain the actual gender of the person who was chosen to be the host body."

"Umm… everyone?"

"Hmm? What is it Wendy?"

"Uh, I don't mean to be rude and interrupt," the Dragon Slayer replied awkwardly. "But the ground is shaking worse than before..."

Everyone looked down at the ground, quickly realizing that Wendy was correct. Immediately, Natsu spurred into action.

"Damn, we wasted too much time here," Natsu hissed. "Erza, grab Elise!"

"I can walk myself guys, I'm fine...."

"You alright Elise," Erza asked, as she dropped down next to her friend.

"I screwed things up big-time… There was a voice that got inside my head, and. before I knew what was happening, it was like I was a spectator in my own body? The void Mother used to inhabit, was instead filled with darkness … And it wouldn't stop, no matter how much I tried to stop it…"

"Elise dear, you wouldn't have been able to, because the beam itself is to blame. It's using some kind of Magic that warps people's personalities, and it managed to ensnare you."

"Erza, I'm so sorry for what happened! I don't know how to pay you back for what I did," Elise cried, as Erza pulled her in for a hug.

"It's all right Elise, I know you didn't mean any of what you said," Erza replied, as Elise hugged her back. "Honestly, I had the same suspicions that you weren't in your right state of mind. We're both alive, and alright, so its fine."

"Guys, sorry to interrupt the touching moment," Natsu cut in, as the shaking intensified. "But we need to get going!"

The group heeded Natsu's warning, as they began to run in the direction of the beam of light.

"Is it really safe for us to head closer towards this thing Natsu? What if we get affected by the beam again!?"

"Well, if the two of you, do then Eliza and I will be pretty disappointed," Natsu replied, surprising both Erza and Elise. "Wendy hasn't been showing even the slightest signs of being affected, after all?"

"That's a good point actually, why is that?"

"Erza, it's probably because Wendy has control over her emotions better than the both of you? Er, no offense."

"Emotional stability can keep us from succumbing to the effects. When Mother was gone for that period of time, the void left behind slowly began to scare me. Perhaps you're right Natsu? If we keep our emotions in check, we should be able to remain as we're meant to be?"

"Only one way to find out you three, lets-!"

The beam suddenly vanished, followed by a powerful earthquake that knocked everyone, save for Natsu, over.

"Oh great, what now," Natsu groaned, as a large object began to pierce through the ground in front of them.

"Is that a building!? No, wait, there's more!? What the hell is going on," Erza shouted, barely audible over the deafening sound of the earth itself being torn open.

"So, this is Nirvana… It's not just a few buildings coming up from the ground, but an entire city! If we want to get on it, we need to do so now," Natsu shouted, as the entire group ran forward, and leapt onto a rising section of the city.

"Are those … legs?"

"Seems this isn't an ordinary city, Elise," Eliza replied, more for the groups benefit. "It appears that this was once a mobile city?"

"A mobile city? I've never heard anything about that before?"

"That's because it's one of the secrets of this world dear. A secret that your Council don't want people finding out about, in fear of situations such as these. Personally, with weapons such as these, I'm inclined to agree. They forgo the Art Of War, in favor of simply removing anything that opposes them instantaneously."

"So, you know what this is then, Mother?"

"I have a fair idea of what it is, yes. Although, if it is indeed the ancient weapon I truly believe it to be, then Natsu and I will need to stop it immediately."

The city had fully risen out of the earth, and was currently stationary. It stood well over five thousand feet tall, if including the tallest spire, and the front of it most certainly proved its viability as a weapon.

"Hate to break it to you but this is definitely a super weapon if I've ever seen it," Natsu muttered, his eyes locked onto the front of it. "That cannon on the front, it's at least forty times bigger than a Jupiter Cannon! What's worse, is that there's some sort of village right over there… If we don't stop these guys quickly, that place will either be blown right off the map, or simply crushed under this thing!"

Out of the corner of Natsu's eye, he noticed Wendy trembling. Worrying that she might be frightened, and not wanting her to turn due to Nirvana's influence, he knelt down next to her, and gave her a pat on the head.

"Wendy, I know this is a lot, but are you alright?"

"Natsu… Can I ask you to do something for me?"

"Of course little one," Natsu replied gently. "What is it?"

"That place that's in the way of this city… That's where my home is… my Guild," Wendy sniffed. "Please Natsu… Can you save my home from being destroyed!?"

"Wait, THAT'S where Cait Shelter is based!? Natsu, we have to stop it," Erza stated firmly, as she sat down next to Wendy as well.

"If we want to stop this thing, we need to find Brain, Jellal, and Cobra. From what I understand, they should be the only other ones up here besides us. Although, for some reason, I can smell others around here as well…"

The city began to slowly start moving forward, as the group found themselves jerked along with it.

"Are you serious!? This thing was just brought back, and it's already on the move," Elise groaned.

"Looks like you guys are gonna have to take out the Oracion Seis in my place," Natsu sighed as he rose to his full height. "Also, don't rough Jellal up too bad, since he's just being manipulated by these bastards. I'm gonna see what I can do about slowing this thing down myself…"

"Natsu, you can't be serious!? Do you not see the size of this thing," Erza snapped back in response to his declaration. "Just one of its legs alone is like half the size of Magnolia!?"

"Erza, you're forgetting something," Natsu replied calmly, as Eliza's voice then spoke through him.

"Yes dear, Natsu's right. You've forgotten that we haven't even come close to using our combined power. At first, even I thought our Unison Pact was a bit much? But now, seeing what we're up against, it may have been for the best."

"Are you sure you two can truly stop it?"

"Stop it? Now that might be pushing it a bit. I can definitely stall it for a while though, until you all can come up with a better idea? Eliza will keep us all mentally linked, so we can relay what we're seeing between each other. If by some chance you find others who were supposed to be a part of this mess, then let us know, and we'll add them into the mental link too."

"Now that the plan has been laid out, we should get moving," Eliza nodded, only for Elise to cut in sharply.

"Plan? This is the worst plan I've ever been a part of Mother, even by your standards!? That said though, I'm getting pretty excited!"

"Alright, enough messing around!  I need to get moving, so you all go and take out the three remaining threats. By the way, watch out for Jellal. The bastard can summon meteorites," Natsu said quickly, before disappearing.

"He can what," Erza gasped, as Elise simply sighed, shaking her head.

"Come on Erza, we have work to do. By the way, you use Support Magic, right Wendy?"

"Y-Yes ma'am."

"Ma'am… I could get used to that? Anyway, we'll need all the support you can give us if we are the only ones here, okay?"

"Right, I'll do my best!"

"We may have to fight two complete powerhouses, but I think we got the better job," Elise continued. "If Natsu has to try and fend off this thing and it fires that cannon, he'll likely be vaporized..."

"All right everyone, let's move," Erza barked out, as they took off further into the ancient ruins of Nirvana.

***POTD***

So, are we gonna die?"

"It's highly likely," Eliza replied mentally. "You know, it's probably lucky we have as much power as we do? Otherwise, I'd suggest running as far from here as we can…"

"Running? A God of War was considering running as an option? You really know how to reassure someone, huh?"

"I didn't speak of everything I knew about this city whilst the others were around, so they wouldn't be demoralized. But I know the truth of this city," Eliza replied, shocking Natsu, as he listened intently to the War Goddess. "This city is a super weapon from an age long since forgotten. Now, what you need to consider, is how such a weapon like this could exist so long ago?"

"Well, I can think of two options? Either it exists because Humans were once more advanced, but lost the technology as our species were set back," Natsu began, pondering the two options in his head. "Or, it's a weapon of the Gods?"

"Well, both answers are technically correct. Although, a weapon of the Gods isn't the right term. It was built using a God's Essence."

"A Gods Essence? What type of God did they use? And, more importantly, how did they use it, if you can't even enter our world physically?"

"As I said, it was from a time long since forgotten. In fact, it was from so long ago, that back when this device was created, Gods could enter the mortal realms at will. As for what God they used to create this weapon? Well, that would be the former God of Discord, Ravus."

"God of Discord? What type of God is that?"

"The God of Discord is an interesting God. Whilst not being entirely relevant like a God of War, or a God of Harvest, the God of Discord maintains the switch between a being's psyche. Ever wondered why some people just snap and go on a rampage? Or why some people go insane for no apparent reason? Thank the God of Discord."

"Why would anyone want that type of God to be around!?"

"That's from your perspective, Natsu. A prime example of why a God of Discord is necessary, is the Lacrima transport you all use. They wouldn't have been invented, if the God of Discord at the time hadn't flipped the switch on a woman who was tired of hauling her goods half way across the country every year."

"Wait… so trains were invented by a crazy person? You can't be serious," Natsu asked in disbelief, before shaking his head. "Well, whatever! Tell me why this particular God of Discord ended up like this?"

"Ah yes, of course. You see, the people here were known as the Nirvits. They were a race of Humans who wished to remain neutral during a war which raged all around their borders. The Nirvits quickly realized that such an idea wasn't possible, largely due to the vast number of resources they possessed. One man known as Roubaul, worked tirelessly to find a solution that would allow their race to remain neutral."

"Let me guess? The God of Discord flipped the switch, so to speak?"

"Exactly. Though, back then, he physically appeared before Roubaul, and offered to help him. Roubaul was overjoyed that the Gods had favored him, and, with Ravus' help, the blueprints for the first stage of Nirvana were created. Whilst Roubaul had continued to work tirelessly, Ravus had been warping his mind slowly, until nothing remained of the man's former self. In fact, he had become so mad, that no one could tell he was mad at all! Roubaul became cold and calculated, executed anyone who had any remote suspicions of his true nature secretly, and plotted his own schemes."

"So, what happened once Nirvana was built?"

"Well, once Nirvana was built, Roubaul invited Ravus to join him in celebrating the completion of the city. Naturally, Ravus agreed. However, once Ravus arrived, it was already too late for him, as Roubaul's plan sprang into action. Unbeknownst to Ravus, another God, the Goddess of Chaos, Evernight, had taken a liking to the current mindset of Roubaul, who had become the spitting image of her in terms of mindset. Without a moment's hesitation, Evernight killed Ravus, and stole his Discord Essence."

"Wait, I thought you Gods were Immortal!? How was Ravus killed?"

"Well, you see, we are Immortal when facing mortal threats, for the most part. The only way for a God to be killed, is for another God to do it. Every God possesses what is known as the God's Aura, which is a rather complicated topic for me to explain in greater detail. The main point you need to know, is that when a God is killed, their Aura leaves behind the God's Essence, which is usually collected and stored away. In Ravus' case, however, the pair used the everlasting Essence of the God of Discord Ravus, to power the city for all eternity. As a final gift to Roubaul for his outstanding work and loyalty, Evernight manipulated the Gods Essence in such a way as to allow it to do unto others, just as Ravus had done to him."

"So, it was able to make people insane, basically?"

"Yes, I'm sure that's what Evernight intended for it to do. However, what followed proved to be their undoing. After Evernight left, Roubaul, in his perfect state of mind, decided that the only way to remain neutral, was to make everyone neutral."

"Ah… So, he went on the war path, conquering all the other warring nations, until theirs was the only one left with power, right?"

"Correct. Though, this is what led to Roubaul's downfall, and the downfall of Nirvana by extension. Because all the people that the Discord Essence had affected were simply left behind, left to their own devices, completely unsupervised. For all his scheming and planning, Roubaul never even considered the possibility that all the defeated nations would unite, and crush the Nirvits in their entirety."

"Hang on, if they were all insane, then how did they all end up working together? Wouldn't they have been backstabbing each other all over the place as they slowly recovered from the Discord Essence?"

"Remember earlier when I said that Nirvana set human kind back in terms of technology? Well, let me tell you something you won't believe… The Nirvits were the only sane Humans at the time,  with all the other nations at the time being comprised solely of Humans who had yet to abandon their savage ways, and operated under the leadership of tribalism."

"Wait… You're telling me that the Discord Essence backfired, and allowed us to progress as Humans? That it's thanks to Nirvana that Humans aren't insane!?"

"That is correct Natsu. Nirvana was a city that, as the Gods of Creation like to say, shouldn't have existed. It was through the intervention of Gods that Humans were pushed forward in their evolution. Today, it isn't seen that way by the majority of the Gods, but it did result in the decree that all Gods are banned from physically entering the mortal realms ever again. Well, this was one of many incidents, anyway."

"This place is that significant," Natsu asked, completely bewildered at what he was being told. "Although I don't believe you'd lie to me, I don't get why is Nirvana still here, if the Humans united and crushed the Nirvits?"

"Well Natsu, perhaps you should ask the man responsible for the mess why it's still here?"

"Very funny Eliza."

"No, I'm serious. He's right over there," Eliza replied seriously, as she pointed over toward where Wendy had indicated the Cait Shelter Guild to be located.

"You're saying he's still alive, and is a part of Cait Shelter? Do you really expect me to buy that?"

"He's there Natsu. In fact, I can actually see him from here. He's the old man standing just outside the front door to the longhouse."

"There's actually no way," Natsu scoffed in response.

"It's him, Natsu. That old man there is Roubaul. His physical body has long since died, however, his spirit has remained, watching over his dead city. He may possess the only remaining knowledge on how to destroy Nirvana? We need to head straight there Natsu, and ask him how to stop it!"

"Fine. I want to ask him some other questions too while I'm there," Natsu sighed, shaking his head. "Also, why didn't you say anything earlier when all this kicked off!? It would have helped knowing the effects of Nirvana earlier on, you know!?"

"Well, I had no reason to suspect the two were directly related. Also, you need to remember that knowledge such as what I've told you, is technically forbidden by your Magic Council. So, you really shouldn't go around telling the others?"

"I suppose that's fair. Let's go talk to the old man," Natsu sighed, as he started making his way to Cait Shelter at high speed. "He'd better cough up some way to stop this thing, or I'm gonna be pissed!"

***POTD***

"This thing doesn't move very fast, does it," Elise noted, as the trio made their way through the destroyed city.

"Well, we should be grateful for it, since it gives us more time to save Wendy's Guild."

"Thank you all for doing this," Wendy replied quietly, only for Erza and Elise to each place a supporting hand on her shoulders.

"Wendy, you don't need to keep thanking us, we're happy to help," Erza replied with a gentle smile, as they came upon a staircase.

"Wonder where this leads?"

"Maybe it leads to the castle up there? It's either that, or we'll end up lost?"

"There has to be a faster way to get to wherever the rest of the Oracion Seis are," Elise groaned, only for the sound of approaching footsteps to put them all on alert.

"Perhaps we could be of some assistance," a voice chimed in from behind them, as the trio spun around, ready to fight.

"Jura!? How did you get here," Erza asked in genuine surprise, as Jura and Lyon appeared, alongside Gray.

"Oh okay Erza, just ignore Lyon and I," Gray chimed in with a grin.

"That's enough Gray, they look like they've been busy themselves," Lyon added calmly.

"Well, it's a good thing you're all here, because we have a big problem. This thing is heading straight for Wendy's Guild Hall. Natsu's gone to try and hold it off for as long as he can-."

"Hold it off!? This thing is practically a walking mountain range," Gray shouted in disbelief. "How the hell does he think he can pull it off!?"

"Whilst I certainly do have my doubts, I won't say its an impossibility," Jura chimed in calmly. "If there was anyone who I'd trust to pull off such a feat, it would be Natsu."

"We've devised a way to at least stop this thing from being utilized as a weapon," Erza continued. "We still have three opponents left-."

"Four, actually," Elise chimed in with a snarl. "Mother never took out Kidomaru, the Guild Master of the Death's Head Caucus."

"Right," Erza nodded. "Four opponents left. Kidomaru, as Elise just stated, Cobra, the Poison Dragon Slayer, Brain, the Guild Master of the Oracion Seis … and Jellal."

"Did you just say freaking JELLAL," Gray snapped. "Nope, we're screwed!"

"What's the matter Gray? Can't handle one opponent," Lyon teased, only for Gray to shake his head firmly.

"Normally I'd deny that, but Jellal nearly beat Natsu in single combat only a week ago. Actually, now that I think about it, shouldn't he be dead!?"

"It's a long story Gray, and we don't have the time to tell it," Erza sighed, understanding his frustration and confusion. "We need to find Brain, Jellal, Kidomaru, and Cobra. Natsu said that Jellal has amnesia, so Brain is manipulating him. Basically, don't kill him if you don't have to, alright? Now, does anyone have any idea where to go?"

"If it would help, I could elevate us to a higher level using my Magic," Jura offered. "Nirvana is quite large, but we've managed to traverse rather quickly using my Earth Magic."

"That's perfect Jura! If you can raise us to the castle level, we can start looking for the four of them quicker. That reminds me Elise, let Eliza know we have to add everyone here to the mental link?"

"Ah, now that's going to make things much easier," Jura nodded firmly. "This way, we can break into teams."

"Before we break off into teams, first things first. We have to get up to the higher levels."

"Right. Let's make sure that we are prepared for this before we go?"

The group began to discuss the plan amongst themselves, as Nirvana drew closer and closer to Cait Shelter