15

As Erza's eyes fluttered open, the sound of battle steadily slipped into her ears, reminding her of the situation, as well as why she had been unconscious. Slowly, she tried to sit up, but hissed, clutching her ribs as she felt a pair of gentle hands keep her on her back.

"Careful Erza, you've got two broken ribs," Mira informed her gently. "If you want to sit up, I'll help you, but it has to be slowly?"

"Yeah," Erza nodded in reply, as Mira helped her into an upright position. "Thanks Mira. So, what's the situation?"

"Well, that scarf currently wrapped around your shoulders and neck should give you a pretty good idea?"

Erza's eyes widened as he hands quickly moved to said scarf, gently gripping it as she examined the aged piece of fabric.

"Natsu's back?"

"Back, and leading the counterattack against Phantom Lord, just as we hoped," Mira replied with a half smile. "He's got Ur, Gray, Elfman and Elise taking point, as he had to ward off another shot from the Jupiter Cannon when he first arrived."

"Wait, what!?"

"I have to say, I've never quite seen anything like what he did," Mira replied as she gazed out the window. "He overpowered the Jupiter Cannon shot, then shattered it with his Crash Magic. He then used it to destroy the cannon…"

"That's insane… I could barely hold it back with my Adamantine Armor, my strongest defensive Armor!"

"This just further proves Natsu is on a whole other level than we are, even if he himself wants to deny it."

Erza could only nod numbly at the white-haired Mage's words. It was rather strange to consider someone being capable of performing such a feat. It almost seemed … inhuman, to be capable of such?

"Mira, can you help me get to the window," Erza asked as Mira let the scarlet-haired Mage wrap her arm around her shoulders, leading Erza to the window. "What the hell did I miss while I was knocked out…?"

"Ur froze the ocean to give us a way across, and the Shades are Jose's apparently," Mira answered as they watched the rest of the Guild holding back the entities. "We can't actually harm them, but we can push them back at least."

"How long has it been since Natsu left his scarf here?"

"Around half an hour," Mira replied as she reached out and grabbed onto the end of the scarf, eyeing it fondly. "He said you'd apparently know the meaning behind him giving it to you?"

"He doesn't want me pushing myself further than I already have," Erza sighed as Mira led her to the nearby couch. "Damn Natsu, always trying to play hero…"

"I'm pretty sure that this battle is covered from here on out Erza," Mira replied knowingly. "Besides, you should count yourself lucky. You're injured, but the vast majority of people would have been completely vaporized by a Jupiter Cannon shot."

"I know that Mira but-but I can't just sit here and do nothing, can I," Erza huffed in annoyance, clearly not pleased about being sidelined.

"You protected Magnolia from what was otherwise certain destruction Erza, that certainly is more than nothing," Mira replied gently as she placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I often have to feel what you're feeling right now, you know? Knowing I once had the strength to help, only to be sidelined because of something beyond my control… I know its hard, but sometimes, you just have to grin and bear it."

"Mira, I'm sorry I-!"

Mira simply waved her hand, silencing Erza, as she placed some strawberry cake in front of her. Initially taken aback by the gesture, one kind nod from Mira changed her tune, as she slowly began to munch down on it.

"I don't like this, but I get it," Erza sighed as she shoved an entire slice of cake into her mouth, her cheeks puffing up rather comically. "I just hope Natsu doesn't do anything reckless when facing Jose?"

"He seemed rather serious when he arrived, so I'd say he knows he's basically our last hope of beating Phantom Lord."

Erza nodded slowly as she pondered her parting words to Natsu back at Phantom's Guild Hall. Clearly, he'd listened to her demand then, she hoped he'd heed it again. Jose was a Wizard Saint, and if Natsu was going to stand a ghost of a chance, he'd have to forgo all unnecessary risks.

At least, she hoped he would.

***POTD***

Meanwhile, down at the base of the damaged Jupiter Cannon, five Fairy Tail Mages stood ready. All of them had been planning out their attack, the four Mages with Natsu deciding on their targets, with the exception of Ur, who already had dibs on Aria.

"So, we all clear on this? You four need to rush and demolish the Element Four, and then Gajeel. After that, we'll see about Jose," Natsu explained, the group nodding stiffly. "Remember, this is a Guild War, not a regular spat, and these guys will likely be going for the kill."

"We all know Natsu," Elise replied with a roll of her eyes. "Can we get moving now, before Phantom have a chance to properly recover from the damage you did to their mobile Guild Hall?"

"Elise is right, we need to move," Ur nodded sharply, eliciting a stiff nod from Natsu who motioned for them to follow him.

"Let's move," the Dragon Slayer barked as the five rushed up the barrel of the Jupiter Cannon, before leaping into the damaged section of the Guild Hall.

As soon as they got inside, the five were set upon by Phantom Mages. Natsu easily dashed past them, not even seeing them as worthy of his time. He knew full well his energy would need to be invested in his fight with Jose anyway, and that the others could easily handle it.

And, sure enough, Ur had the trash on ice in seconds, much to the shock of Gray who hadn't seen her lift so much as a finger whilst doing so. Ur, seemingly sensing his shock, merely looked over her shoulder and smirked in his direction, before beginning to wander down the hallway Natsu had sprinted down.

"Damn Gray, she's pretty freaking strong," Elise muttered. "Its like she's not even worried about being here?"

"She was always like that," Gray muttered in reply as he looked out the window, noticing a section of the Guild Hall covered in dark storm clouds. "I think that's where my target is?"

"The Water Mage," Elise nodded. "Guess you got one of the harder jobs?"

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"My target is coming to me," Elise smirked as she held out her right hand, summoning an ebony straight sword into her right hand. "See ya!"

Elise vanished down the hallway in a burst of speed, the sound of clashing steel echoing back toward them moments later. Taking that as his cue, Gray started sprinting down toward his target, as Elfman ran down a separate hallway, the quartet now properly split up.

***POTD***

Gray had been running for a few minutes until he ended up outside, quickly finding himself drenched by the strange storm clouds that were localized entirely around that one particular section of the mobile Guild Hall.

He was running across a small connecting bridge, skidding to a stop as he saw someone approaching.

"Drip drip drop," a feminine voice sighed as woman with blue hair, midnight blue eyes and skin as white as snow slowly approached from the other side of the bridge. She wore a sapphire blue coat with a matching furred hat Gray didn't really recognize. She was also holding a light pink parasol, twirling it idly as she walked.

"Are you the one causing this rain," Gray asked slowly as the woman stared blankly back at him.

"I am," the woman replied softly. "I am one of the Element Four, the Master of the Element of Water, and I would strongly advise you to surrender. I may be able to convince Master Jose to be lenient, should you cooperate?"

One Of The Element Four

S Class Mage Of Phantom Lord

The Cursed Rain Woman

Juvia Lockser

"Sorry, but that's just not gonna happen," Gray replied with a firm shake of his head. "After what happened to my friends, Levy, Jet and Droy, as well as our Guild Master, there's no way I can back down."

"I see," Juvia replied sadly. "I had hoped to avoid conflict…"

"Really? Well, that's a welcome change of pace from the rest of your Guild at least," Gray replied honestly. "You don't seem as crazy as the others in your Guild?"

"Many within our Guild despise Fairy Tail, as they see your Guild as shadowing ours from its true glory. I believe that, with hard work and a drive to succeed, we could achieve the place of number one without resorting to such violence."

"See, now that is a goal I could get behind," Gray replied honestly. "It's a shame really, you seem nice. If we weren't on opposing sides, we could've been friends…"

Juvia's eyes widened at Gray's statement, seemingly shocked by such a possibility as she twirled her parasol slightly faster.

"Y-You would want to be friends with someone like … me," the Water Mage asked hesitantly. "No one has ever wanted to be my friend before!?"

"Why not? You seem pretty nice," Gray replied truthfully, further stunning the rain woman. "You know, Phantom stuff aside, and all."

"W-Well, wherever I go, it always rains," Juvia replied sadly, looking up at the cloudy sky above them. "I don't know why, but it just always pours around me, and never stops?"

"Oh, I get it," Gray hummed in understanding. "People think that you make everything all gloomy just by being around, because of the whole rain thing, right?"

"Yes, unfortunately. Jose brought me into Phantom Lord, promising that I would be among friends, and that he would look into helping me find a way to control the weather I generate," Juvia explained. "Being a Wizard Saint, I naturally believed him, yet he hasn't delivered on either of those promises…"

Gray realized that there might be a way to resolve this conflict with Juvia, without needing to resort to a fight. Slowly, he walked over to the side of the bridge, motioning for her to sit down next to him.

Juvia seemed both surprised, and curious, as to his actions. After a brief moment, she decided to accept his offer, and sat down beside him, as they looked out at the battle going on before them.

"I assume its safe to say that you feel lonely here at Phantom, right?"

"Most of the time, yes. I don't get along well with the vast majority of the Guild, because they all dislike me and my rain. Only Gajeel is ever nice to me, though he's not that good at it … he does try."

"Gajeel? You mean the Iron Dragon Slayer," Gray asked in surprise. "Seriously?"

"I know it might be hard to believe, but Gajeel is similar to myself in a lot of ways. We both haven't got much, are disliked by most, and were abandoned. I won't call him a gentle soul, but he's certainly not the monster he likes to portray himself as…"

"Wow," Gray muttered as he pondered Juvia's words. "Guess appearances really can be deceiving, huh?"

"That's very true. From the way Jose spoke before we arrived, I had expected you to attack me on sight," Juvia replied. "He told us that Fairy Tail Mages were rather barbaric, and that we'd need to fight hard as you often played dirty."

"Figures he'd say something like that," Gray replied with a roll of his eyes. "Fairy Tail isn't like that at all. We do fight each other a lot, but most of the time its all-in good fun. We don't just go attacking others for no reason, its not how we were raised, you know?"

"That's the complete opposite of what Master Jose tells us you're all like," Juvia nodded slowly. "Honestly, the fact that you're willing to sit here and have a genuine conversation with me, your supposed enemy… I'm more inclined to believe in your words, rather than Jose's."

"Well thanks, I'm glad you're willing to listen," Gray smiled. "Hey, we don't still have to fight, do we?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Well … I mean, it would just feel weird if we fought each other seriously now, wouldn't it," Gray asked awkwardly as he looked away for a moment before meeting her gaze. "After all, it wouldn't really feel right fighting a friend…"

"Wh-Wh-What!? Are you s-serious," Juvia stuttered, blushing profusely as she immediately turned away, eyes wide. "F-Friends!?"

As Juvia pondered Gray's words, a strange warm feeling started to spread throughout her body. It was something that the rain woman had never felt before, something she had no concept over as she pondered it internally.

'What is this … feeling, and why do I feel so … warm,' Juvia thought as she stared up into the sky and saw something beginning to pierce the clouds.

"Oh, would you look at that," Gray smiled as Juvia slowly looked back toward Gray, right as the sun shone over his soaked form. "The sun's back out! Guess all you really needed was a talk with a good friend, huh?"

"I-I can't fight you," Juvia whispered. "You're … my … friend now, right?"

"That's right," Gray grinned. "And don't worry, I'll tell my friends not to fight you either, since you're a friend now."

"Wait, what? How does that even work," Juvia blinked, clearly confused at Gray's statement.

"Well, because everyone in Fairy Tail is family, becoming friends with one of us means being friends with all of us. Guess you made a lot of friends today, huh Juvia?"

Juvia could only stare at Gray as the light from the sun intensified around his form. She watched as he slowly got up, mesmerized by the sight.

"Well, I'd better get moving," Gray sighed as he stripped all of his clothes off without even realizing it.

In that instant, something snapped within Juvia, as her eyes nearly burst from their sockets. She panted heavily as a comical miniature pool of water flowed from her mouth before she passed out.

Gray, having seen this strange shift in her behavior, thought she was having some sort of health issue, immediately grabbing onto her and shaking her.

"Hey Juvia, what's wrong!? Oi, Juvia!?"

Little did he know, that Juvia had just had her first experience in the world of love, as the rain woman's unconscious mind replayed the scene on a loop over and over again, priming her for her new mission in life once she finally woke.

***POTD***

Ur slowly stepped out onto a balcony that overlooked the entirety of the mobile Guild Hall. Without even needing to think, she stepped right over the edge as ice formed a path for her, allowing he to casually walked up onto the rooftop.

Once she was back on solid ground, the Ice Make Mage smirked, exhaling deeply.

From her mouth, her breath slowly became visible, as the temperate in the area rapidly dropped, as the right side of Ur's neck slowly became enveloped in ice that quickly spread down to envelop the top of her right arm.

"I would strongly advise showing yourself," Ur whispered, as the air around her shimmered. "Your little technique won't catch me; I guarantee you that."

"Oh my, she knows!? How utterly sad! Now, I'm going to have to kill her the old-fashioned way… SO SAD!"

Ur didn't even bat an eye as an extremely tall man stepped right out of thin air. He had dark skin, and was heavily clothed, even wearing a blindfold. He wore a large, loose, green coat, a yellow robe beneath that and dark red pair of loose-fitting pants, complete with a pair of dark brown shoes and a forest green colored top hat.

"You are foolish for bringing me your neck, young lady," the man cried as Ur tapped the ring on her right finger, a tiny Lacrima situated within it that performed a scan on the man. "As the leader of the Element Four, I have no choice but to end your life in the most brutal and vile means known to man!"

Leader Of The Element Four

S Class Mage Of Phantom Lord

Lord Of The Great Heavens

Aria

"So, you're the one who cowardly struck down Makarov, eh," Ur mused as she looked at the ring, a small projection popping out, revealing itself to be an MPF. "Ah…I see now."

Aria – 14,882 MPI

"Oh my, she's scanned my Magical Power, so sad, yet so flattering," Aria sobbed. "I am both elated, yet offended! Now I must destroy you!"

"Yeah, I'm afraid that's not going to happen," Ur giggled. "You have the raw Magical Power to be in S Class, but seem to lack the brains…"

"So sad! You judge what you do not understand," Aria cried in response. "My Airspace Magic will leave you battered, beaten, broken, and drained, before you even have a chance to scream!"

"This is the problem with people like you, always underestimating your opponents," Ur groaned as she shook her head. "Honestly…"

Aria raised his palms as Ur simply stared at him, clearly unimpressed. "Zetsu!"

Without even moving a large wall if ice formed in front of Ur, negating the attack. Aria floated backward slightly at the narrowed eyes of the Ice Make Mage, her intimidation factor alone making him have second thoughts about his course of action, for but a brief moment, at least.

"You're not ready for a fight like this. Come back five years from now, and we might be able to talk," Ur muttered as the ice coating her right upper body began to spread across toward her left.

"This is so sorrowful, as my attack has all but failed! But I will not despair, for you will lie defeated soon!"

"Your Magic does not possess the advantage, Aria. My form of Ice Make Magic allows me to adapt to any combat situation. No matter what tricks you have up your sleeve, they won't outpace my mind."

"How sad! The woman believes she has won the battle when it has but begun!?"

"This might be your Airspace Aria," Ur replied calmly as the temperature dropped below zero. "But what's in my mind, is my space. And whatever I think of in my mind, I can make reality … and that is the true power of Maker Magic!"

Aria began to launch a relentless barrage of Airspace Magic at Ur, who still hadn't shifted from her starting position. For each individual air blast, a solid chunk of ice would pop up and block it expertly.

"How sad … she hasn't gone down yet!"

"Ice Make – Powdered Snow," Ur sighed as she brought two fingers to her lips, kissing them before exhaling gently and using said fingers to direct the snow in Aria's direction.

The snow quickly got caught up in Aria's wind, unbeknownst to the man, who seemed to be under the impression that her attack was simply far too weak to blast through it.

"A weak attack at best! The Ice Make Mage believes herself to be powerful, yet cannot go on the offensive!"

"Was it though," Ur asked in response, as she motioned to Aria's form.

"What is this," the Airspace Magic user hissed upon realizing that his form was quickly being coated by the snow, and he couldn't get it off. "What have you done!?"

"My Powdered Snow will stick to any target I choose. Once it sticks, it is irreversible, unless you're a skilled Fire Mage," Ur replied calmly as she crossed her arms. "Perfect for incapacitating flighty pests such as yourself."

"You claim to be strong, yet use weak tactics like this," Aria grunted as he was slowly descending to the rooftop, the weight of the snow quickly adding up.

"To an ordinary Mage, the attack may be considered weak," Ur agreed with a shrug. But a Mage with experience and knowledge in combat would say otherwise. In hindsight, there are no weak attacks, only weak Mages who use them."

"How dreadful to be called weak by a weakling! So sad!"

"You can hang onto your old ways, but you won't ever understand how to be a true Mage, and will fail to grow stronger until you do. Fairy Tail is full of Mages who understand this concept. And that, Aria, is why your Guild will lose this battle."

"To think that I, Aria, the strongest of the Element Four could be subdued so easily," Aria grunted. "I have no choice … but to enact my trump card-!"

Aria gasped as Ur vanished, reappearing behind him in a flash of white. He didn't have the time to even twist his head, as his body was suddenly encased in a tomb of ice. Ur looked over her shoulder, shaking her head as she snapped her fingers.

The ice shattered, destroying Aria along with it. The small chunks rapidly melted away, taking the fragments of what once was Aria with them, leaving no trace he had ever been there.

Ur gazed down at the spot Aria once was, her eyes cold and emotionless. She recalled what Natsu had asked her to do, and found herself begrudgingly agreeing with his logic.

'Aside from Jose, Aria has to die. It could be argued that he's just as much of a threat as the Wizard Saint, because he could sneak attack any of us, making us just as weak as Makarov is right now…'

Hearing a sudden explosion from below snapped Ur out of her musings, as she slowly strolled toward the edge. She watched as a man was blasted out of the building and into the sea, Elise standing at the edge of the hole for a brief moment before taking off down the hallway.

"Guess she took down Totomaru," Ur muttered quietly. "Guess I should make my way to help Natsu with Jose now?"

Without looking back, Ur walked off the edge, generating a path for herself using ice as she walked. She strolled right down to the hole in the wall Elise had made and started making her way toward what she assumed was Jose's throne room.

The battle was currently in Fairy Tail's favor. She only hoped that momentum continued.

***POTD***

Natsu entered Jose's throne room, keeping alert in case Jose tried to ambush him. He knew full well that the man wasn't going to fight him fairly, Makarov's current condition was all the evidence he needed for that.

"So, you've finally arrived," Jose sneered, slowly levitating down from the roof and into his throne. "It seems I've underestimated some of you lot, as my Element Four have been defeated."

"Serves them right," Natsu replied firmly. "You'll be next on that list, Jose."

"How amusing," Jose smirked. "You talk a big game, yet you were the one who fled the last time, weren't you?"

"I was buying time back in Oak Town, nothing more," Natsu replied as he sensed Ur approaching. "About time you got here? I'm surprised Aria took you so long to take care of?"

"He was a weakling," Ur sniffed in response. "He barely understood how a true battle between Mages works, and he paid the ultimate price."

"You killed Aria," Jose asked, genuinely surprised. "I'll admit, I hadn't expected that…"

"You'll be next Jose," Ur replied with a frown. "I saw what you ordered be done to Levy and her friends. You're a stain on the name of all Wizards!"

"You would be wise to watch your tone in front of me," Jose hissed as he leaned forward in his chair. "I'm a Wizard Saint, and your power is nothing compared to mine!"

"A meaningless title," Ur scoffed in response. "Scum like you have all but ruined that title for this country, as you flaunt it about like you're entitled to the world. Maybe once, the title of Wizard Saint was held in high regard, but once you lot stopped caring about the everyday citizen, and abused your positions for wealth and influence, it fell to the common Mages to deal with problems!"

"And just why should we be forced to bow to the whims of the commoners," Jose sneered in response which earned him a look of utter disgust from Ur and a scowl from Natsu. "We earned our positions through power; you haven't got the right to tell us anything!"

"Wizard Saints are meant to be the example all Mages are meant to follow, Jose," Natsu snapped back in reply. "The people look to the Wizard Saints for guidance and aid BECAUSE they're some of the strongest Mages we have!"

"Yet instead of tackling the Dark Guilds, pushing back the violent creatures that even S Class Mages struggle with, and aiding their communities, the Wizard Saints simply exist as lapdogs to the Magic Council," Ur spat, surprising Natsu at the sheer level of contempt clearly evident toward not only them, but the Council, in her tone.

"Oh? And I suppose you would prefer me to follow the example of someone like Dragneel," Jose smirked, surprising both of them as the Wizard Saint leaned back into his throne. "Yes, that's right, I did some digging on you after our last battle. I know more about you than you'd like me to know…"

"What of it," Natsu growled in response.

"I know all about the atrocities you've committed, Knight Commander Dragneel," Jose grinned savagely. "How many did you kill in order to achieve such a rank I wonder? What atrocities have you committed in order to win the battles on your record…?"

"My past is not up for debate or discussion, Jose. I don't know how you got any information on me, and I don't care. You'll be dead soon, taking that information to the grave with you in the process…"

"You think yourself special just because you fought in a war? That you have what it takes to defeat me, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, just because you managed to kill one of the Commanders of the forces of Alv-!"

"ENOUGH," Natsu roared, cutting Jose off. "This isn't about ranks, titles or past deeds, for good or ill… This is about Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord, Jose. The feud between our Guilds is minor, at best. There are things out there that couldn't give a shit about our ranks, about our power, or our Guilds. We would be to them, much like an ant is to us-."

"Trying to act all wise and knowing like that will get you nowhere Dragneel," Jose spat as his sclera turned pitch-black. "You sound just like Makarov!"

"Perhaps I do. But it doesn't change the fact that I've seen a lot of the world Jose. I've seen Mages in Scarlione that could blow away mountain ranges in a single attack. I've seen Mages blow away tens of thousands of soldiers that would rank as S Class here in Fiore with ease! I've fought for years in that hell Jose, and I know that all this fighting between our Guilds, its meaningless in the end."

"Natsu," Ur muttered, shocked at how emotional the man was getting as he took several steps forward and extended a hand out toward the Guild Master who likewise was now sporting a shocked expression.

"Come on Jose, I know you aren't stupid. I know you hurt Makarov and our Guilds are fighting. If Makarov were here, he would offer you a chance to stop this, to end this before more innocent blood is shed over foolish ideals! We don't have to be friends, or even acquaintances, but surely you don't want all of this to end in death and bloodshed? What do you say, Jose?"

Jose's eyes flickered from the hand being extended toward him, to Natsu's eyes, his upper lip beginning to curl as he slowly rose from his throne. The Guild Master walked down the steps before him and stopped in front of Natsu before speaking.

"I don't care about any of that nonsense, about your sob story about Scarlione, or any of the trash in either of these Guilds," Jose spat as he slapped Natsu's hand away, prompting him to jump back beside Ur as the Guild Master slowly began to levitate off of the ground.

"Jose-!"

"There's only ONE THING that matters in this world Dragneel, and that's power! In all its glorious forms," Jose roared as his entire body became coated in a purplish aura. "You dare stand before me, the Guild Master of the top Guild in Fiore, and preach that friendship garbage!? I'd rather die than EVER let a single one of you Fairy Tail scum live!"

"So that's how it is then," Natsu sighed as he looked toward Ur who nodded sadly. "Fine then Jose, you leave us no choice! Ur, scan him!"

"Right," Ur nodded as she tapped her ring, scanning Jose.

As Ur's ring did its thing, Natsu and Ur both began to release their magical power, the entire room shaking violently, which in turn quickly engulfed the entire mobile Guild Hall itself. Though no one could see it yet, they knew that the final battle was about to begin.

Right as the MPF finished its scan of Jose, Elise, Gray and Elfman arrived, only for Natsu to order them to stay back as he witnessed the number on the MPF.

Jose Porla – 72,481 MPI

"YOU DARE STAND BEFORE ME AND OFFER PEACE," Jose roared as two spheres of purplish black darkness engulfed his hands. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Get ready Ur," Natsu snapped as he activated his Flame Drive, his appearance growing much more draconian, as Ur's body was covered by razor sharp chunks of ice.

"Darkness Magic – Dark Pulse!"

Raising both his arms at Ur and Natsu, Jose fired a monstrous blast of pure Dark Magic at the pair. The two sprang into action almost immediately, with Ur slamming her heel into the ground to summon a solid wall of ice.

"HIHIHAHAHAHA! That won't be enough to stop this, Fairy trash," Jose laughed as the two blasts struck the attack before seemingly slipping off of its surface and crashing into the left and right sides of the throne room. "WHAT!?"

"Ice Make – Glassy Mirror!"

"Nice one Ur," Natsu grinned as the Saint fully extended his arms out and summoned two more of the Dark Pulse attacks. "Let me handle these ones, you get ready to counter!"

"Right," Ur nodded, as she entered a similar stance to Gray, slamming her right fist into her open left palm as a massive blue colored Magic Circle appeared behind her.

"Bring it on Fairies," Jose roared as he fired another burst of Dark Pulse, this time  with Natsu charging directly into the path of both attacks, as orange sparks began to surround his body.

"We're not gonna go down easy Jose," Natsu snapped in response as he cocked back his right fist. "Crash Arts Secret Technique: Spreading The Truth – Empyrean!"

Punching the space right in front of Jose's attacks, the ground beneath Natsu was blasted apart. However, so too were Jose's attacks, as a monstrous charge of Crash Magic tore them both into tiny cubes.

"Damn you Dragneel," Jose growled as Natsu leapt between the collapsing floor and toward Jose's position. "DAMN YOU!"

"JOSE," Natsu roared as he coated his right fist in flames. "Fire Dragon King's Quaking Demolition Fist!"

"Darkness Magic – Dark Impact!"

Jose and Natsu clashed, every window in the room shattering as the walls around them began to collapse. Jose grit his teeth as he felt Natsu's attack slowly begin to push him back. However, he was prepared for this scenario, as he prepared a second Dark Impact in his other hand.

"Take this you filthy little cretin-!"

"Ice Make – Artic Arbalest!"

The clash between Jose and Natsu was cut short as a massive bolt of ice impaled him through the chest. Natsu landed and spun around to keep up the pressure on Jose who had already dispelled the ice in his chest as Shades now coated his entire body.

"You think you actually stand a chance just because you can team up against me," Jose spat as he leapt off of the ground and hovered several meters out from land. "I'll blow you both away right now with an attack neither of you will be able to block!"

Holding both his hands out to his right side, a sphere of pitch black began to form with Natsu instantly recognizing the attack. He was already going through the motions as he sprinted back toward Ur's side, the latter unaware of the specific attack, but fully aware of the power it held.

"Let's see you both try and stop this," Jose cackled with glee. "Darkness Magic – Darkness Mixer!"

Jose brought the attack out in front of him and fired a pitch-black blast of darkness at their current position. Unlike Dark Pulse, this attack was easily able to engulf not just them, but the entire top of the Guild Hall itself.

"UR," Natsu roared as he tackled her to the ground and raised his Crash Barrier to its absolute maximum.

The moment the attack struck; the entire sky seemed to momentarily go pitch black as everyone in Magnolia looked on at the frightening display of power from the clearly insane Jose. The other members of the Guild who were still there could only gape in shock at the display, never having seen something like it before.

Elise, Gray and Elfman likewise had hit the deck the moment they saw Natsu sprint away from Jose and toward Ur's position. It became apparent that this was definitely a fight beyond their level, and that at any moment, they could be caught in the crossfire.

As the blast died down, Jose was rather disappointed to see that both Natsu and Ur had survived it. That being said, both were wounded with Natsu in particular bleeding profusely from several wounds across his body.

"Fuck," Natsu said through grit teeth as he got off of Ur and shakily moved to stand. "You ok?"

"I certainly wasn't expecting that," Ur replied shakily as she managed to get back on her feet. "You're hurt!"

"Never mind that Ur," Natsu sighed in reply. "Listen, I need you to do something for me-?"

"You aren't seriously going to ask me to get the others out of here, are you," Ur cut in quickly, scowling at the look she was receiving as a reply. "Natsu!"

"If it's just me and Jose here, I can go all out without worrying about killing the others Ur! Surely you get that!? With all of you out of the way I can fight Jose with my full power!"

"Natsu …"

"Please Ur, I've got to do this! If I don't stop Jose while I still have the strength, then no one can!"

"Fine," Ur growled before grabbing onto his jacket and dragging him close. "But I swear if you try and take this piece of shit out in a suicide play …"

"I'll beat him Ur, no suicide plays."

Ur locked eyes with the Dragon Slayer, his currently more draconian shaped eyes telling her nothing but his resolve to fight. Sighing, she relented, and let him go before beginning to run toward the stairs where the others were located.

As Ur moved to check on the others near the door, Natsu turned around to face Jose directly, who was smirking away like an idiot. "What?"

"You've just signed your death warrant," Jose grinned as he began to power up once more. "Two of you was an annoyance, but a little brat like you alone is child's play!"

"Is that right," Natsu huffed in response as he wiped some blood from his face. "If anything, I'd be running if I were you, Jose."

"Run? You'd resort to jokes at a time like this?"

"No jokes," Natsu replied as he cracked his neck to relieve some built up pressure. "With all of my friends out of the way, I can finally go all out against you!"

Clutching his shirt, Natsu ripped it off and tossed it to the side, revealing his battle-scarred body to the Guild Master, who was wholly unimpressed.

"This is where the real fight begins Jose," Natsu growled as he fully opened his reserves. "Whatever it takes, I'm taking you down!"

"Just try it boy," Jose roared in response as the pair began to power up, the sea around the mobile Guild Hall rising up around them in response to their monstrous energy. Dark clouds began to gather as Jose and Natsu took steps toward each other.

"Oh, I'll do more than try, Jose…"

"Who would've thought someone like you possessed such power," Jose sneered as his Shades seemed to all gather behind him, forming a massive Phantom behind him. "But at the end of the day, vermin are still vermin!"

"You don't get it, do you Jose," Natsu growled in reply as the fire around the room seemed to surge around his position, rearing up to form a replica of a Dragon as the two massive constructs faced each other down just like their creators.

"There's nothing to get, you're little more than vermin that needs to be exterminated!"

"Vermin implies that I'm prey, yet that couldn't be further from the truth," Natsu snapped as his body became coated in a pillar of fire. "Because I'm not just any old mage Jose … I'm the Son … of a DRAGON!"

Jose was shocked as the entire mobile Guild Hall shook violently, with much of the surrounding rubble beginning to melt from the sheer heat being put out by the Dragon Slayer. What stepped out of that pillar, however, was something neither Jose, nor the Fairy Tail members at the stairs had expected.

Standing at twelve feet tall, covered mostly in dark red scales, was Natsu. His body was barely human, aside from part of his face, and small sections of his torso, the rest being entirely covered by thick, red scales. His arms and legs were now proper claws, his hands still vaguely resembled their Human counterparts, but with the addition of razor sharp claws on the end.

His hair had grown right out, now like a furry mane that did nothing to mask the largest addition to his new form. Two, three meter long wings that were fully stretched out from his back. They had red scales on the exterior, with ripped, jagged flesh as the interior membrane, as if they had been damaged at some point in the past.

Despite this, he flapped them once, and started to float off of the ground, exhaling a plume of smoke from his nose as he glared at Jose through eyes that fully resembled that of a Dragon.

"No fucking way," Elise gaped, clearly in awe. "He looks like he's half Dragon!"

"That's because he is," a familiar voice grunted as all eyes moved behind them to see Gajeel standing there, just as stunned as the rest of them.

"You," Elise hissed, only for Gajeel to raise his hands defensively.

"I ain't here to fight. I just wanted to see Salamander, and I can't say I'm disappointed…"

"What is he," Ur asked as she scanned Natsu's new form with her ring. "What did he do?"

"He never tell any of ya? Figures," Gajeel smirked. "That right there…that's the Dragon Force."

"The Dragon Force," Gray asked, clearly confused. "The hell is that?"

"Brings us closest to our element, I guess is one way of summing it up," Gajeel shrugged. "Kinda speaks for itself really. If ya wanna know more, its for him to tell, not me."

"I'll say," Ur muttered as she looked at the number spat out by the MPF. "That's insane…"

Natsu Dragneel – 97,984 MPI

"Holy shit," Gray snapped. "He's gonna clobber Jose!"

"I wouldn't go assuming that," Gajeel smirked in response. "Jose's a Wizard Saint ya know…"

"Speaking of, we all need to get the hell out of here," Ur cut in sharply as she watched Natsu coat his claw-like fist with crimson flame. "Now!"

Everyone nodded, moving past Gajeel who had no intention of leaving, watching as the two powerful Mages prepared to fight.

As Natsu prepared his right fist, Jose prepared his own, coating it in raw darkness, as the pair charged toward one another. Natsu moved to perform an uppercut whilst Jose went to try and punch Natsu across the left side of his face.

"DRAGNEEL!"

"RAAAARGH!"

Fatal Battle

Wizard Saint Rank Eight, Magic Council

Jose Porla

Both mages struck home, Natsu landing his uppercut right as Jose clocked him across the face, sending the pair stumbling backward with fresh blood now coating their fists. Both immediately recovered and moved to punch the other again, however, this time, their fists met, which shook the entire area beneath them hard enough to generate small tsunamis below.

"Is that the best you've got," Natsu spat as he blocked several more punches from the Guild Master, before releasing a burst of Crash Magic that forced the man backward.

"I've barely even gotten started, Fairy," Jose spat back, extending his arms outward. "Phantom will be the dominant Guild in Fiore, whilst Fairy Tail will crumble to dust! I promise you that I'll see it done, by my own hand!"

"Like hell we'd ever let that happen," Natsu roared in response as Jose began his attack.

"Shade Magic – Spectral Incursion!"

Hundreds of Specters burst from the ground and began to circle Natsu, taking quick slashes at him before fading only to be replaced by more. The pattern continued in an unpredictable manner, making it hard for him to actively block them all, with some managing to successfully land attacks.

In order to deal with them, he knew just what to do. Extending his own arms outward, Natsu's entire body started releasing a powerful wave of flame in all directions that was laced with Crash Magic. Jose grit his teeth, and charged right into the flames, coated by his own darkness.

"Damn brat, just die already," Jose hissed as he pushed past the flames, managing to land a solid headbutt to Natsu, staggering him as he stumbled back from the sheer force behind the blow. "You want to play with the big boys!? FINE! Let's see you survive THIS!"

Natsu winced as the hand Jose held him in became coated in a familiar sphere of darkness. He was about to try countering it, but Jose beat him to the punch.

"Darkness Magic – Dark Pulse!"

Natsu was blasted at point blank range by the attack, his body being propelled up into one of the nearby towers at high speed. Before he even had a chance to recover, the tower collapsed on top of him. This was then followed up by Jose firing a second blast of Dark Pulse at him in an attempt to finish him off.

Jose flew up toward the ruined tower and waved his right hand, banishing the debris and expecting to see Natsu's downed form. His eyes widened in shock when there was a distinct lack of the pink-haired Dragon Slayer.

"No-!"

Spinning around a second too late, he was shocked to see Natsu had managed to appear behind him, slugging him across the face and knocking him into the center of the ruined tower, where he smashed through every last floor until he reached its ground level.

"Fucking prick," Natsu panted as he spat out a glob of blood whilst landing at the top of the ruined tower. "Two can play at that game!"

Taking a deep breath, Natsu's chest puffed up as he flapped his wings, flying high into the air as he lined up his attack with the hole he'd knocked Jose through. Once he was certain he was on target, he struck.

"Fire Dragon King's Quaking Roar!"

Natsu's attack fully engulfed the ruined tower. However, what he wasn't prepared for, was Jose to have already recovered with an attack of his own. As his attack engulfed the tower quickly, a solid beam of darkness engulfed the bottom and was traveling upward.

"Darkness Magic – Darkness Mixer!

The two attacks smashed into one another, equal in power, as both Jose and Natsu funneled more and more power into them. Eventually however, it was clear that doing so was a lost cause, and so both simultaneously ceased them. As they did, the focal point of the clash exploded, the sky being momentarily ablaze and covered in a sea of darkness.

Natsu was already preparing a follow up to the previously tied clash, dropping down to Jose's level as he spotted the Wizard Saint preparing another attack.

"I don't care how much gets destroyed, FAIRY TAIL WILL PERISH," Jose roared as he prepared to fire another long-range attack at him. "Shade Magic – Dead Wave!"

Extending his right arm outward, several Shades quickly merged together to form a powerful wave of dark energy, one that was quickly fired at Natsu. To his surprise, however, Natsu simply vanished from where he'd been in midair and reappeared right in front of him.

"WHAT-!?"

"Fire Dragon King's Quaking Sword Horn!"

 Natsu struck Jose in the stomach with a fierce headbutt, and blasted him through several walls, the Saint recovering with a series of rolls before launching himself into the air and flipping several times, landing atop a table where he quickly prepared another attack.

"Darkness Magic – Dark Razor!"

From all ten of his fingers, razor sharp blades appeared, and extended out a considerable distance. Jose immediately began slashing away at Natsu, who was currently charging toward him through the holes in the wall.

Using his Crash Magic, he tanked several slashes, just so he could get into what appeared to be Phantom's main hall. Once he was inside however, he was immediately dodging and weaving around Jose who could only snarl in response.

"Stop running! Shade Magic – Shade Entangle!"

Natsu found himself flat on his face as a Shade grabbed his ankle, tripping him up at high speed. Rolling onto his back, he was just in time to evade five of the blades impaling him in the back of the head, as he rolled out of the way at the last moment and onto his knees.

Jose spun around and tried to slash at him again, growing even more frustrated. However, Natsu blocked the attack with his left arm coated in Crash Magic, shattering the attack before lurching forward and landing a fierce headbutt to the man.

"Tch-! Persistent little gnat, aren't you," Jose sneered as he aimed the last five blades he had and fired them at Natsu, forcing him to dodge. "It seems I may have underestimated you considerably."

"Pretty sure you did that from the beginning," Natsu panted slightly as the two fully rose to their feet. "I did warn you before we started fighting …"

"I don't care about that," Jose snapped as his shades started to enter his body. "I'll do what I must to slay you here … I WON'T BE BESTED BY A FAIRY!"

"You truly are a lost cause," Natsu sighed as Jose's form began to warp into an even more corrupted version of himself.

His skin had gone grey, his eyes were now just lifeless and black, and his Magical Power had increased even more. Not only that but it looked almost like he'd beefed up considerably, as his muscles tripled in size, tearing through his shirt and coat in the process.

"This is where you die, Fairy," Jose snarled in a spectral voice, eliciting only a silent narrowing of the eyes from Natsu as he looked over Jose's new form.

'He willingly allowed himself to be corrupted by the Dark Magic he wields? At this point, killing him would be a mercy …'

***POTD***

As Natsu and Jose fought, the rest of Fairy Tail watched on in complete shock from back at the ruined Guild Hall. The sheer amount of power being so casually tossed about was something most Mages couldn't comprehend wielding, yet here Natsu and Jose were, two monsters, tossing out attacks that could destroy a city like it were child's play.

Erza could only stare at the scene that was unfolding in front of her, unable to even comprehend the strength of either Natsu or Jose. She of course knew Natsu was powerful, his previous displays however had nothing on this. The sheer scale of this battle was on a whole other level.

"When Master Makarov said Natsu was as strong as Gildarts, I thought he was bluffing. Guess that makes me the idiot huh," Macao said weakly as the others mumbled in agreement.

"Who could've predicted anything like this," Wakaba replied in shock, his cigar long since forgotten as Cana noticed several figures in the distance.

"Hey look! Everyone else who went over is back!"

"What the hell is happening over there," Erza all but demanded from the group prompting Ur to reply as they made it back across the shattered icy sea.

"Natsu needed Elise, Gray and Elfman far away from the battlefield," Ur replied as she turned to look back at a section of the collapsing mobile Guild Hall. "Its probably a good thing I came back as well, I would've been a liability without being fully recovered…"

"That kid really came into his own huh," Macao grinned as another explosion went off. "I still remember when he couldn't even beat me. Funny how times change, huh?"

"Let's just hope he's got enough of that luck that brought him back to us left to take out Jose," Erza muttered as several more explosions went off. "If he loses, we're as good as dead. None of us can even hope to compete on that level."

"Gee, way to ruin the mood Erza," Elise replied, though no one laughed.

"Either way, we'll know in a few minutes time," Macao said as the group continued to watch the battle.

***POTD***

Meanwhile, as the battle raged on in Magnolia, Mystogan arrived at a small home on the outskirts of the town. He was met by an all too familiar figure, one he'd spoken to many a time.

One that didn't look too happy to see him either, it seemed.

"Honestly Mystogan, you always show up at the worst times!"

"Sorry I'm a bit late; Natsu had me running around looking for these," Mystogan replied as he handed over a jar full of raw Magical Energy. "I hope this will help the Master?"

"You collected that much in such a short amount of time," the figure replied as they fully stepped out of their home. "Honestly, how did you find all this?"

"It wasn't hard to track down Master Makarov's Magical Signature, I've felt it numerous times," Mystogan replied calmly. "Though, I did get a bit sidetracked…"

The older woman gasped as dozens of flags flew out from Mystogan's cloak, littering the surrounding area. All of them bore the emblem of Phantom Lord, many of them were damaged.

"Unbelievable… This must be from every Phantom Lord branch in the country!?"

"Well, we all do what we can to help out," Mystogan replied gently. "It was the least I could do, considering the fact that Natsu has been tasked with the harder job by comparison, right?"

"Honestly, what's with you brats," the older woman sighed as she took the jar off of Mystogan's hands. "Whatever happened to just being normal!?"

"You know what he'll do the moment he wakes and senses this power, don't you," Mystogan replied, ignoring her latter question, which seemed to annoy her.

"Of course I know what will occur, but it isn't like it'll matter one way or the other, will it!?"

"I suppose not," Mystogan sighed, turning and looking toward the battle that was visible, even from beyond Magnolia. "I must go to the Guild, so I'll take my leave."

"Of course. Its not like I wanted you here anyway," the older woman sniffed as the S Class Mage shook his head, departing for the site of the battle.

The elderly mage watched him go and shook her head, her eyes slowly drawn to the dark clouds surrounding the trashed form of Phantom's Guild Hall before swiftly looking away and heading inside.

"Honestly Makarov what is with all these brats," the old woman sighed as she opened the jar. "Take your power back you old fool, before something else terrible occurs!"

A Mage Of The Fairy Tail Guild

Former Member Of Team Makarov

Medicinal Advisor Of The Guild

The Healing Mage

Porlyusica

Makarov's body began to glow gold briefly, a sudden surge in Magical Power being noticeable by anyone with any modicum of the skill, before it suddenly faded away. Porlyusica frowned as Makarov's eyes began to show signs of movement, no doubt knowing that her job was almost complete.

Once she was certain that the raw Magic had returned to its rightful owner, the Mage walked to the window of her home and gazed out at the battle.

"The land trembles, but not in fear or pain," Porlyusica muttered as she placed a single finger onto her glass window. "So, this is the strength of the Son of Igneel…"

***POTD***

The situation had only worsened as Natsu and Jose continued to generate more and more power through their battle. The tremors only seemed to worsen, as it looked like the storm that had been generated earlier intensified, powerful gusts of wind raking Magnolia as a result.

"Brings a whole new meaning to the term 'one man army' doesn't it," Wakaba chuckled as many of the weaker Guild Members began to sweat from the heat, clearly being generated by Natsu.

"Wakaba, now's not the time," Erza sighed as she continued to wring her fingers raw with worry. "I know Natsu is powerful, but can he actually defeat one of the Ten Wizard Saints?"

"Come on Erza, have a little faith in him," Elise huffed as she gently nudged her arm. "You forget that I had to see the Ten Wizard Saints all the time back when I was part of the Rune Knights, I know Natsu won't lose to Jose!"

"Indeed. Though Natsu is far younger than Saint Jose, he bears power few his age could ever hope to match," an unfamiliar voice muttered which drew the attention of the entire Guild.

"Mystogan," Mira gasped as the robe clad Mage hopped down to stand alongside his fellow S Class Mages.

"My apologies for being late, but it appears the plan Natsu and I hatched has succeeded, for the most part, anyway."

"Plan," Mira asked as she cocked her head to the side. "When did-?"

"Right after the mess at Phantom Lord's other Guild Hall. I met with Natsu, and we knew that in order to deal with Phantom and Jose, the response would need to be swift and decisive. I tackled all of the other Guilds bearing the flag of the Phantom, whilst Natsu was tasked with putting a halt to the Jupiter Cannon, and holding back Saint Jose.

"So, what happens now," Gray asked as the robe clad Mage looked out toward the battle. "You and Natsu gonna team up and thrash Jose?"

"I'm afraid not," Mystogan replied calmly as many of the Guild looked shocked at his response.

"And why not," Erza growled as she rounded on the man. "Why are you planning on letting Natsu face Jose alone when you clearly have enough power left to help!?"

"Settle down Erza, I assure you that the situation is well in hand," Mystogan replied gently as he pointed up above the storm raging atop the mobile Guild Hall. "Natsu was the best choice to face Jose, my talents lie elsewhere. Jose is a powerhouse, a veritable font of Magical Power that could only be matched by the titanic strength of the Salamander. My own power is nothing to scoff at, but …"

"I get it," Mira sighed in understanding. "Natsu is a front-line fighter whereas you're more of a support type Mage, right?"

"Correct. I can face most foes easily enough, but a Wizard Saint is a bit beyond my capabilities," Mystogan sighed as a single ray of golden light manage to pierce through the black clouds. "This fight is almost at its end …"

Everyone looked up to see what Mystogan was talking about, and were shocked to see several more rays pierce through, signalling the end.

***POTD***

"What's the matter boy, getting tired," Jose jeered as the two flashed around the utterly trashed room exchanging a fierce barrage of blows. "Is this the best the mighty Salamander of Fairy Tail has to offer!?"

Jose delivered a powerful blow to Natsu's gut, prompting him to lurch forward as blood escaped through his mouth and nose. Before Jose could follow up however, Natsu grabbed onto Jose's arm and dragged him forward, whilst shooting himself upward, to deliver a fierce headbutt that sent Jose flying through two stories worth of flooring.

"You think you've got the power to take me out Jose, don't make me laugh! If I fell here against a piece of trash like you, then my entire journey up until now would've been for nothing!"

"It was undoubtedly for nothing," Jose snapped as several dark blasts of energy shot through the floor above, homing toward him, as Jose started smashing even more of it away with his raw strength. "Even if you were to defeat me here, your life is forfeit! I'm a Wizard Saint, the Magic Council will have your head for even raising a finger against me!"

"Fuck the Council and fuck you," Natsu roared as Jose started lobbing large chunks of stone at him in addition to the dark projectiles. "The only thing that matters … is getting you the hell away from Magnolia!"

"HAH! You still think you can win," Jose scoffed as he lobbed the last piece of stone before leaping off of the edge of the third floor and crashing into the main dining table, splitting it in two as both halves folded upward. "I'll show you the true malice we've held for your disgusting Guild!"

Kicking one half of the table at Natsu, it was shattered against his Crash Barrier as the Saint grabbed the other half and charged toward him. Natsu entered a defensive stance as Jose closed the distance between them, blocking the massive half of the table with his forearm before spinning around and kicking Jose in the right wrist, sending the table flying away.

"Then let me show you the true power of the Fire Dragon, JOSE!"

Both men roared as they charged one another, fists coated in their respective elements as the ground cracked beneath each step. Jose summoned a sphere of Dark Magic and Natsu's fist exploded with crimson flame.

"Fire Dragon King's Seismic Demolition Fist!

"Darkness Magic – Dark Impact!"

The two started skidding to a stop, blood pouring from countless wounds as their bloody fists were raised out to their respective rights. Both roared as they struck each other in the face, the neither fist leaving the face of the other as the two pushed against each other with what little Magic they had left.

Blood seeped between the grit teeth of the two powerhouses, as the ground started to crack beneath them. Both noticed this and went for the exact same move, immediately pulling back and attempting to punch the other on the opposite cheek with their free hand.

Both men struck home a second time, the floor below them blasted apart from the shock-wave as they fell down into what appeared to be the power room for the Jupiter Cannon. The two landed several meters away from each other, blood splattering the floor as they each immediately struggled to their knees.

"I … WON'T LOSE … TO … FAIRY SCUM," Jose screeched as he started dragging himself forward with Natsu doing the same.

"THIS … IS IT … JOSE!"

"IT ISN'T OVER … UNTIL I SAY IT IS," the Wizard Saint roared as they both managed to stagger onto their feet mid punch.

Jose managed to strike Natsu first, knocking him flat on his back. The Saint immediately moved to capitalize on this, and deliver a crushing blow. However, the moment he raised his right foot, Natsu kicked his left knee, knocking him onto his side.

"DAMN IT-!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP," Natsu roared as he all but thrust himself at Jose with the last of his strength, pinning the Wizard Saint down.

"GET OFF ME YOU FILTHY-!"

Jose was silence as Natsu raised his right fist and punched Jose square in the face, the man gasping in pain. Before Jose could even consider trying to get Natsu off of him, the bloody fist came down again as Jose's vision momentarily went white.

"RAAARGH!"

Again and again, Natsu continued to hammer away at Jose's face. No longer was he fighting to incapacitate as his mind was now firmly entrenched back in past memories. Where Jose lay, he did not see the Wizard Saint, but his old enemies from a war-torn land.

"RAAARGH!"

Striking Jose once more in the face, the squelching sound was enough of a hint that Jose wasn't going to be fighting any longer. Unfortunately, Natsu was no longer in his own right state of mind as he raised his fist once again in preparation to strike, blood dripping down from it and onto his foe beneath him, as he panted heavily.

"Hehehehehe … That's right, do it," Jose laughed, his voice crackly and somewhat muffled due to his missing teeth. "If I can't take out Fairy Tail through force … then destroying their champion … will suffice!"

Natsu panted as he raised his fist even higher, his mind screaming for him to do what he had been taught to do to people like Jose. Gritting his teeth, Natsu roared and went to strike Jose one last time only to halt mere inches from his battered face.

The dark and gloomy atmosphere of the room seemed to brighten up considerably, as golden rays of light flooded in from the hole above. Natsu felt his strength slowly being sapped away as he looked directly upward, the blood-lust clouding his mind receding as he slowly returned to his senses.

"Gramps …"

Floating down through the hole in the floor was Makarov, his eyes glowing the same golden color as the rays of light around him. The old man said nothing as he landed, simply gazing at the two before shaking his head at the sight.

"Natsu?"

"Y-yeah …?"

"Could you please get off of Jose," the old man asked calmly, as Natsu practically dragged himself away from Jose's incapacitated form. "Thank you. Now then …"

"Makarov," Jose hissed as his one remaining eye locked onto the old man, the other socket having been crushed by Natsu's savage beating. "Come to gloat, have we!?"

"No Jose, I didn't. I came here for only one reason and I'm sure you know exactly what that is, don't you?"

"Go … to hell … Makarov!"

"You truly are a lost cause," Makarov sighed sadly as he stopped next to the downed Wizard Saint. "You once showed real promise, yet look at you now? Broken and disgraced… How pitiful."

"You …!"

"I know exactly what you planned to do just now Jose," Makarov continued as his frown deepened. "You knew you'd all but lost and planned on having Natsu kill you, forcing the Magic Council to take action against both him and Fairy Tail, making yourselves out as the sole victims."

"So, what if I was," Jose chuckled weakly only to freeze at the rather frightening look of the old man towering over him.

"I'm afraid you've made a fatal miscalculation, Jose," Makarov replied, his tone hollow as Jose's one good eye looked between the old man, and Natsu who stood behind him.

"And what … would that be," Jose spat back, clearly not believing Makarov in the slightest. "What possible miscalculation would allow Dragneel to kill me and get away with it!?"

"Simple," Makarov replied plainly, causing Jose to freeze in place as Makarov started smiling at him. "Natsu is going to kill you, then I will simply use my position as one of the Ten Wizard Saints to present fabricated evidence that 'proves' you planned on using your position, and your sizeable Guild, to overthrow the Magic Council itself."

"What," Jose hissed. "What-!?"

"Tsk. Not a good look Jose," Makarov continued as he slowly moved aside. "Natsu?"

"Yeah?"

"As one of the Ten Wizard Saints, I order you to execute Jose Porla for crimes against Fiore. Be careful, he's resisting lawful detainment."

Jose's remaining eye widened in fear as he looked between Natsu and Makarov, quickly realizing just how dire his situation had become.

"W-Wait a minute, you can't be serious," Jose gasped as Natsu slowly advanced toward him, cocking his right arm back as his claw-like hand straightened out. "NO! THIS ISN'T RIGHT! IT ISN'T FAIR-!?"

"Isn't right? Isn't fair," Natsu repeated coldly. "This is war, Jose. A war that YOU started, remember? What was right or fair about what you did to Levy and Team Shadow Gear, or Makarov?"

"I-I-!"

"Nothing," Natsu replied darkly. "None of it was fair, but you didn't think about that, did you?"

"You only thought about yourself, and that is to be your final lesson, Jose," Makarov whispered as he leaned in close to the now terrified Saint. "If there is a Hell, Jose, then I'll see you there…"

"Fire Dragon King's Seismic Piercing Claw," Natsu muttered as he sank the attack directly into Jose's neck, severing his head clean from his shoulders as the rest of the attack blasted through the floor and set off a sizeable explosion below the mobile Guild Hall.

Once the deed was done, Natsu sighed, returning to his base form as his knees buckled. Before he could fall, Makarov caught him in an enlarged hand, gently laying the Dragon Slayer down.

"About time you woke your ass up," Natsu half joked, coughing up some blood as he chuckled weakly. "Shit…"

"You did an outstanding job, Natsu," Makarov replied, sitting down next to him. "I must admit, I didn't actually think you had the power to face someone like Jose in single combat, but you've surpassed even my expectations."

"Heh. You know, it's funny how you made me hold off killing him until after you got to talk shit to him," Natsu chuckled. "In the end, even someone like you can despise someone that much, huh?"

"I never liked Jose, and not just because of his family's eternal hatred of Fairy Tail either," Makarov replied as he looked over at Jose's corpse. "He was always a terrible person, someone who just wanted to use their power to destroy and control. I voted against his appointment to the Ten Wizard Saints, you know?"

"Doesn't really surprise me."

"Either way, he'll never bother Fairy Tail again," Makarov huffed. "Still, I've got to put on a show to make it more official that he resisted our attempts to detain him."

"As if my current state isn't enough," Natsu asked, motioning toward his battered and bloodied form.

"Unfortunately, that won't be enough," Makarov chuckled, before pressing a hand to his left side and blasting himself with a light-based attack, blowing a hole right through himself.

"Gramps, what the fuck-!?"

"This is how it has to be if we want to get away with this without Fairy Tail suffering," Makarov grunted, spitting out some blood as he brought his hands close together, a powerful surge of Magical Power beginning to form. "If you were a Wizard Saint, we could have just used you as evidence of Jose's resistance. But, without me being injured, Doma will have a means to refute our claims, despite all Jose has done. You know how much he hates Fairy Tail…"

"Right," Natsu sighed as the light continued to grow between Makarov's palms. "What's that spell?"

"It is a spell I'll likely teach you one day," Makarov began, rotating his hands as the sphere doubled both in size, and Magical Power. "It is a spell used to protect Fairy Tail in times of great crisis."

"I can tell why," Natsu murmured, watching as it doubled a third time. "What's it called?"

Makarov's response was to merely look at Natsu, smirking, before enacting the spell.

"I invoke, Fairy Law!"

Natsu was forced to cover his eyes as a colossal pillar of light exploded from Makarov, quickly engulfing everything in its warm radiance. From what little he could see, Jose's corpse was burnt by the attack, which indicated it was a Light-Based Spell.

Once it died down, Natsu noted that nothing had really changed about the area, aside from Jose's corpse being a charred mess. Looking around, he saw Makarov sigh and return to a sitting position.

"So, that's it then? You use … what was it, Fairy Law? That'll get us off the hook?"

"That's right," Makarov nodded knowingly. "I've done this little trick before. It'll be a little harder since Doma hates you as an individual about as much as he hates Fairy Tail, but it will still work."

"You know, you're scary sometimes," Natsu replied as he looked at Makarov in a slightly different light. "Like, I get why you did all that, but its just kind of strange to hear YOU talk about killing someone and covering it up."

"I'll do whatever is necessary to protect Fairy Tail, as I told you when you returned from Scarlione. Jose threatened to kill my family, and you killed him first. Naturally, I will ensure you suffer no consequences for that, even if it means abusing my position as a Wizard Saint to do so."

"I…Thanks," Natsu sighed tiredly. "So, once word gets out that Jose was killed by us, what then?"

"Actually, it won't. The Council won't allow that to become public knowledge," Makarov grinned in response which honestly unsettled Natsu somewhat.

"Don't want to upset the status quo by saying that he was killed by a random S Class Mage and another Wizard Saint, right?"

"Precisely. If anything, they'll just move to replace him quickly, rather than faff about like usual."

"You do realize the repercussions if anyone ever finds out about what we did, right?

"None of the details will ever see the light of day," Makarov replied knowingly as he placed a gentle hand on Natsu's shoulder. "We were the only witnesses, and neither of us will ever speak of this again. Understood?"

"Understood," Natsu replied tiredly. "We should probably go home now, right?"

"Agreed," Makarov nodded as he helped Natsu to his feet. "Remember, we did what we did here today because Jose threatened our family. Jose is dead because he wished to destroy us."

"I know."

"Do not dwell on his death, he doesn't deserve pity. That is the kind of scum Jose was," Makarov replied as he let Natsu go. "Now, let's get back to the others."

"Yeah, the others," Natsu said with a wince as he tried to stand on his own, only to collapse. "Shit-!"

"Easy Natsu, easy," Makarov said gently as he expanded his right hand to easily pick up the weakened Dragon Slayer. "I'll fly us back."

"Forgot you could do that," Natsu chuckled weakly as he looked at all the wounds over his body. "I have a few too many holes in me …"

"I'm sure the others will have a field day with your current condition," Makarov chuckled as he gently lifted Natsu, the pair flying out of the ruined mobile Guild Hall and back toward Magnolia.

***POTD***

The entire Guild was stunned as the light dissipated from Phantom's Guild Hall. Most of the Guild had never seen such an attack before, and none of them knew who had done it since it was a light-based attack. Well, none, save for one…

"That was Fairy Law," Erza muttered in a mixture of shock and awe. "I never thought I'd see the day it would be deployed …"

"Did gramps do that," Gray asked in response, earning a dumb nod in return.

"Yeah Gray, the Master was the one who unleashed that attack. He's literally the only one who could have done something like that. There's no way Jose could have taken that attack and continued fighting, so the Master has surely ended this war."

"That's a relief," Gray sighed only to notice something approaching them from Phantom's Guild Hall. "Hey guys, look!"

"It's Master Makarov and Natsu," Elise grinned as the old man landed before them all and gently placed Natsu down on the ground, his enlarged hand returning to its regular size.

"Thanks gramps, I doubt I would've had the strength to make it back," Natsu chuckled weakly as everyone openly gawked at his body.

His body was torn to shreds, large holes and countless bruises littered his form, as he failed to even rise to a sitting position, and instead chose to simply lay there, bleeding out. Erza couldn't help but tear up at his condition, feeling somewhat responsible for not trying to rejoin the battle earlier.

"Hey … what's with the tears?"

"Look at you," Erza sniffed as she gestured toward his entire body. "You're so badly hurt I don't even know where to begin!"

"I'd hug you, but I'd rather not cover you in all this."

"Well fortunately, I just so happen to know where to start," Makarov cut in as he turned toward the others. "Elise, you are currently the fastest here aside from Natsu. I want you to head on over to Porlyusica, and have her prepare for Natsu's arrival!"

"You can count on me Master," Elise nodded sharply before vanishing in a burst of speed.

"Mira, I want you and Erza to clean him up and dress his wounds as best as you can before we move him. If these open wounds aren't sealed, he'll die of blood loss!"

"Of course Master, we're on it," Mira nodded as she turned toward Gray. "Fetch me the first aid kit and as many bandages as you can find!"

"On it Mira," Gray replied as he ran into the destroyed Guild Hall.

"I feel so loved right now," Natsu lightly joked only to receive a firm glare from both Erza and Mira in response.

"Shut up Natsu," Erza snapped as Mira towered over him.

"You're lucky to be alive mister!"

"Wait … How am I the bad guy," Natsu mumbled as he felt his eyelids beginning to grow heavier. "Wait …"

Natsu fell unconscious as all eyes moved toward Mystogan. He was currently holding one of his staves in his right hand, clearly putting the weakened Slayer to sleep. Makarov nodded appreciatively at the man, who simply nodded back in turn.

"I'll speak with you soon, Mystogan. Please stick around for the time being, since there is clearly much to go over."

"I understand Master," Mystogan nodded in response. "You know how to contact me."

Makarov nodded as Mystogan's body slowly faded away into an ethereal mist, leaving no trace of his presence behind, as the Guild prepared to deal with the aftermath of their battle with Phantom Lord.

***POTD***

Unbeknownst to everyone, several figures had been watching the Guild War from the safety and comfort of their secret meeting place. The Three Lords of the Bharam Alliance all pondered what they had just witnessed, each of them considering how it would affect things going forward.

"So, it seems Phantom Lord was defeated. Their reputation seems to have been rather exaggerated, to say the least."

"You should know why the Phantom Lord Guild was so prominent? A Wizard Saint as a Guild Master by itself practically guarantees such a highly regarded reputation and status. That alone draws in many prominent Mages, eager to learn from one of the Ten."

"I knew that already. But let's not forget who they went up against. Fairy Tail, led by the Wizard Saint Makarov. According to your man Bluenote, some of their Mages are clearly quite powerful for their age."

"Regardless of what the two of you think about this little war, the fact remains that Fairy Tail has suffered virtually no casualties throughout this minor conflict. This was certainly not what any of us had predicted."

"Yes. Well, we thought that Jose would have the upper hand against the majority of the Mages of Fairy Tail. However, it appears that this Natsu Dragneel is becoming quite the problem..."

"Agreed. His disruption of several key operations has begun to actually cause us losses. Also, the man has taken out Lullaby, Deliora and forced us to dispose of Agares, all within a two-week period."

"The question remains, is he actively hunting us, or are these simply a string of coincidences?"

"We will need to discuss Natsu at a later time. Kyoka has finished extracting all of the necessary information from Falk Transil. It appears that The Cortex had indeed been holding up his end of the bargain, none of our vital operational details were leaked on his end."

"Then how does that explain the failure of the Lullaby plan? We didn't intentionally leak it, and Valtheim's Razor would have been the only other Guild to know of its existence in the area at the time those fools from Eisenwald said Dragneel caught wind of it?"

"I do not believe that there was a leak in this particular case, at least not from Valtheim. Rather, it would appear that it was by sheer dumb luck that Dragneel happened upon the information, and managed to act accordingly."

"Any other information of note?"

"It appears that Valtheim had come into some information regarding an ancient super-weapon, one that would tip the balance in our favor, should it be reawakened. It appears that the weapon is buried somewhere deep beneath the earth."

"If there is a weapon hidden out there, then it would be best if we acquired it as quickly as possible, lest the Magic Council gather wind of it and destroy it," prompting all three Lords to nod in unison.

"My Guild, the Oracion Seis, shall see that this weapon does not fall into enemy hands. If we can harness the strength of a super-weapon against the Magic Council then it would give us enough power to finally act in the open without fear of reprisal."

"Before we consider trying to harness it, do we even know where precisely it is, what it does? Do we even know what this weapon is called?"

"The memories make reference repeatedly to the word … Nirvana. Given that this name is repeated constantly, we've decided that will be its name."

"Nirvana," the Lord of the Oracion Seis muttered. "I shall see to it that all my subsidiary Guilds are dispatched to the vicinity of its location, discreetly, of course. The weapon shall be for the Bharam Alliance, I vow this on my position as a Lord of the Alliance!"

"Very good," the other Lords nodded stiffly. "Now then, onto the next item on the agenda?"

"Ah, I believe you're referring to the tower. Rest assured that Ultear has almost completed its construction, just as planned."

"Remember, we need that Lacrima in order to compete with the Council. The stakes are high, and we cannot afford failure on this one."

"Ultear has recommended to that fool Jellal that he hire several members of the Death's Head Caucus," one of the Lords muttered. "I've diverted the entire Guild to the project, and sent Kidomaru along as well."

"This project is far too important not to," one of the Lords agreed. "The amount of raw Ethernano we stand to gain from this project could fuel our armies for the next thirty years at least."

"Let us hope that all goes well, and neither Dragneel, nor the Council, manage to catch wind of what we've got planned. If anything else goes wrong, our own personal Guilds may need to become fully involved. And, as we all very well know, that would be … messy."

"To say the least," another Lord scoffed. "Just look at what Bluenote, Azuma and Zancrow's small deployment caused. We must not be seen to be taking direct action again, not after the Second Circle incident."

"I assure you; I am having Seilah punish Agares for his lack of restraint and control," the youngest Lord muttered in response. "Kyoka was insistent on helping her, so you can rest easy knowing he shall suffer before we eliminate him for his foolishness."

"Let his punishment, and summary execution, stand as a stark reminder to all who serve under us, that insubordination will not be tolerated!"

"That fool nearly started another civil war. At least you're taking his punishment seriously," the oldest looking Lord nodded gently. "That aside, I believe we have discussed all we need to. Tartaros is to lay low for now, the Oracion Seis is to deploy the Death's Head Caucus to the R-Genesis Project, and my Guild still seeks the keys to Zeref's revival."

"We are in agreement," the youngest Lord muttered as they all rose in unison.

"We shall meet one week from now," they all muttered quietly, each turning on their heel and walking out their respective exits.

If there was one takeaway all three Lords got from the meeting, it was that there was a thorn beginning to grow in their side.

A thorn, named Natsu Dragneel