Dragonslayer

Chapter 61: Aerial Superiority

"Fairy Tail"- Regular Speech

'Fairy Tail'- Regular Thoughts

"Fairy Tail"- Flashbacks

"Fairy Tail"- Dragon/Demon/Monster Speech/Names of Spells

'Fairy Tail'- Dragon/Demon/Monster thoughts

Fairy Tail- Stating of the year or a place

Summary: I was told I was alone...in a world where NAKAMA were every person's desire. Then HE found me, he said he saw great potential in my small body and he raised me. Because of him I lived...I learned...and I finally found someone I could call nakama. Even if he didn't call me the same. That is why I will do whatever I can to live up to his name. As the son and dragonslayer of the greatest being I have ever met. Acnologia, the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse.

(A/N: Before we get into this chapter, I just want to say thank you to most of you guys for sticking up for me and defending me when I was getting all that weird paragraph-type flame reviews from that one reviewer with the multiple accounts who tried to fill my review page with a bunch of obscenely negative remarks. Like really? Why am I specifically the the writer who made everything wrong with the Fairy Tail fandom? Why am I the guy who makes the Naruto fandom toxic? And some of his claims just don't make sense. Why would I form multiple accounts just to review my own stuff? That does nothing for me and is a waste of time. I have actual life problems to deal with.

Now thanks to information given to me by WarMachine357 (my buddy who has also been a target of this person), I have learned that the person actually has 5 completely separate accounts for the sole purpose of doing these types of things. Now when you've been on sites where people can openly criticize you, you have to just shrug it off or roll with the punches because there will be people like that who are looking for a fight. But while I did not retort to this guy, I'll just have you guys know that I have located the majority of his/her accounts and blocked him/her so he/she doesn't have the ability to PM or review my stories any more (some of them don't exist anymore when I was searching for them). And even if I did want to have a conversation with this person, I couldn't. They literally PM-ed before I was able to block the accounts and when I tried to reply, they actually had the function activated that prevents people from replying to their PMs. So even if I wanted to have a civil conversation with him or her, I couldn't.

Anyway, just wanted to say thanks to you readers for sticking up for me and also for defending the story. Some bit of faith in humanity restored.)

Airship Corrdiors, Grimoire Heart Flagship, Skies of Fiore

The sounds of Ultear's footsteps echoed throughout the corridors of the airship, her mind running through the battle plan that she was to be in charge of. The weight of her guild master's words made her shoulders feel as if they were sagging and she couldn't help but sigh as she caressed the ring construct she had forged around her ring finger.

Despite having only created the ice ring to fool that flirtatious hotel concierge into thinking Naruto was her husband, she never did remove it. Hades, Bluenote and the Kin of Purgatory, sines Shukaku, all waved it off as just an accessory so they never questioned her about it. However, for some reason, wearing the piece of icy jewelry brought some form of calm to her.

"You still have it on, I see." Shukaku's voice snapped Ultear out of her thoughts, her dark eyes meeting his golden ones.

"What the...?!" Ultear felt as if her soul had left her body before she glared at the laughing Bijuu Exceed. "What are you even doing out here? Master Hades called all of us executive members to go and meet him in the war room."

"I had some stuff to do."

Ultear arched an eyebrow as she looked behind Shukaku as the room door closed behind him with snap-hiss. "Stuff to do? In the engineering room?"

"I'll have you know I'm an expert in magical technology."

"In your dreams maybe."

"Exactly."

Ultear snorted at the tanuki-esque feline's reply. "You're incorrigible."

"And you're very much a bitch."

The two sneered at one another as they made their way through the airship's corridors to head for the war room, choosing to move together for pure convenience's sake. Taking advantage of their lack of communication, Shukaku reached out with the mental link to his eldest sibling.

'Hey, asshole? You there?'

"I may be an asshole, but you're still an idiot for making yourself telepathically whisper. No one can hear you think, dumbass."

'I hate you.' Shukaku practically felt the eye roll from his olde brother.. 'Anyway, just giving you an update. Gaara and I infiltrated the engineering room, but we got a call for the executives to meet up with Hades in the war room. I left Gaara behind to interrogate the staff to see what exactly it is about these weird attachment parts on the airships that has you all so stressed out.'

"Will the staff pose a problem post-interrogation?"

'Well...' Shukaku's eyes narrowed in thought. 'Given that Gaara is well...Gaara, it won't be much of an interrogation as much as it will be Gaara asking them questions, the engineers being scared to tick him off since everyone is aware of his kill streak, and then him getting the answers. We'll probably be able to send you some data files too, so be on the look out for those.'

"Good work, Shukaku."

'I don't need your praise, baka-kitsune!'

The mental link was severed at that point and the youngest of the Nine immediately glanced in Ultear's direction.

The hallways were still quiet aside from the human mage's footsteps, something which Shukaku found rather odd considering how talkative the Arc of Time user was whenever they were together. Granted, most of their dialogue consisted of mostly insults, but talking was still talking.

It was then that he saw the reason for the younger Milkovich twin's silence.

(Insert Music: Kimetsu no Yaiba- Nezuko)

"Why do you even still have that on?" Shukaku asked as Ultear continued to fiddle with the ring of ice. "You made it so you could easily deconstruct it without a second thought."

"...No reason."

The pause in her response had the Ichibi scowl in annoyance.

'Bullshit.'

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you liked the idea of being married to the brat." Shukaku's scowl morphed into a mischievous smirk. Maybe a bit of teasing would ease the answer out of the dark guild's second in-command. "That kiss he gave you left that much of an impression on you, huh?"

"No!" Ultear blushed, her mind suddenly flashing back to the moment the Golden Wind God had kissed her. "It's not that at all!"

"She says as she blushes like a schoolgirl." Shukaku laughed, but the laughter quickly died down as he took note of the troubled look on Grimoire Heart's second in-command. "Alright, I'll bite. Clearly whatever's on your mind has something to do with the ring."

"Awww, Shukaku-kun, do you actually care about little ol' me?"

"Don't flatter yourself, woman." The Ichibi rolled his eyes. "Now talk. The great Shukaku-sama is willing to lend an ear for this one time only."

"Great Shukaku-sama my ass." The 19-year-old mage scoffed as she continued to rub the ring of ice on her finger. "It's less about the ring and more about what Fuujin-kun gave me before I left. The ring I keep on me just to remind me of what transpired since I can't exactly go whipping this thing out all the time."

Her mind took her back to the moment before she and Naruto parted ways, him granting her freedom from being a hostage before he would go off to do battle against his mind-controlled best friend. Reaching into her pocket, the Arc of Time user withdrew a folded up piece of paper with a dark purple magic seal, the kanji for 'Communication' casting a soft glow on both her face and Shukaku's.

"That's a Communication Seal!"

"Yes, it is." Ultear nodded in confirmation. "Before I left to return to Grimoire Heart, before you all went off to fight Kurama...Fuujin-kun gave me this. It sounded less like a threat and more like a promise that he would take down Grimoire Heart and that in the aftermath of it all, I would join him."

"Sounds like Naruto." The Sand Magic using Exceed nodded. He shifted his gaze from the seal to the young woman before him. "So you're wondering about the outcome of this whole plot of Master Hades and if you're actually going to consider joining up with Naruto? Is that it?"

"Well I doubt I'd even be given a choice."

'You'd be surprised.' The Ichibi thought. From what Kurama would say when talking about the Apocalypse Dragonslayer, Naruto had really come a long when it came to toning down his 'my way or die' methods.

"But...I'll be honest," The dark-haired woman chuckled. "I'm not completely opposed to the idea of standing with him."

"Why's that?"

A moment of pause passed between the two as Ultear searched for her words, the two Kin of Purgatory continuing to traverse the corridors of the airship.

"It's just..." Ultear exhaled forcefully. "I've never really had options before. Okaa-san sent me to the Bureau of Magical Development when I was just a baby. When the Bureau was destroyed, Master Hades found me. I'm indebted to Master Hades not just for saving my life, but for nurturing me. I don't really have a choice if I wanted to run out on the guild."

"You're making an excuse for yourself there, Ultear." The golden-eyed Exceed stated.

Ultear flinched slightly at the truthful jab. Purehito Gaebolg was an evil man. He looked at the world with an intense focus, removing any and all obstacles in his way while utilizing any and all resources he had. She was one of those resources after all.

She knew she was being used. One does not simply teach a 14-year-old girl how to control time with magic on a mere whim. But blind love and faith in the man who made her who she was prevented her from acting on what that little voice in the back of her mind was telling her. It told her to run. To never look back. To live her life on her own terms rather than those of a dark mage with grandiose plans of world reform.

She always had a choice, but she was a naive child in the end. A naive child who clung to the leg of her parent, and if she let go, she would not be able to live with the guilt.

"You don't need to feel guilty if you left, you know?" Shukaku said.

"And yet I do. It is a level of guilt that is difficult to bear." The daughter of Ur sighed. "If I could leave Grimoire Heart right now, there's the very real possibility that I actually have another route to choose aside from just becoming a wandering mage, but..."

"Well if you want to bust out of here, one word to Matatabi and we can break outta here without breaking a sweat."

Ultear arched an eyebrow. "We?"

"Look, you recruited Gaara and I on Matatabi's recommendation to replace Azuma and Zancrow after Naruto and Kurama killed them, but that's as far as our relationship with this dark guild goes. I have no ties to this place and I'd turn it into smoldering wreckage without even looking back." The tanuki spoke without a pause, showing just how serious he was towards the matter. "Matatabi cares about you and if I told her you wanted out, she'd be over the moon and end up roping me into the mix when she comes for you."

"You say that with such conviction."

Shukaku shrugged. "She may be a giant two-tailed fire cat who is a bonafide pain in my ass, but she's still my sister."

(Insert Music: Kimetsu no Yaiba- Voices of the Past)

Command Center- F.M.S Terumi, Fiorean Sea

Lahar drummed his fingers against the regimental badge that had been stitched onto his uniform, the badge that officially marked him as Grand General of Fiore's entire branch of the Rune Knight Corp. His dark green eyes were fixated on the horizon, staring with an almost uncomfortable level of intensity from his chair within the Terumi's superstructure.

The sound of metal shifting and footsteps falling alerted him to the approaching form of one of the Terumi's crew, and a hefty shoulder pat informed him of who it was without him having to even turn away from the horizon.

"Brosnan, have you briefed Fairy Tail on the current situation."

"Yup." The amber coloured eyes of Lieutenant-General Alice Brosnan shifted from the horizon to that of the Grand General. "They are on stand-by."

"You got all the details across without trouble?" Lahar arched a dark eyebrow, respect and surprise present in his tone. However, the snort of amusement that came from the Lieutenant-General immediately informed him of the contrary.

"Since Makarov-sama and Erza-sama knew the details of the mission already, it wasn't that hard to tell 'em about the mission, but..." Alice sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Most of them got the gist after the first run-through, but Salamander and Fullbuster took a bit of reiteration."

"They're kids." The Grand General stated.

"Dumb ones at that." Alice chuckled. "They're a fun group, but I'll never know why you volunteer for the missions when we have to bring them in for their monthly court sessions."

Lahar smirked. "You get used to them."

"That's right." Alice poked his cheek playfully. "YOU get used to them, while us lower ranked drivel have to handle the real work."

The Grand General of Fiore swatted away the offending index finger of his former barrack-mate and the armour clad woman could only laugh in response. There was a pregnant pause between the two and Alice took note of the way her friend's shoulder seemed to be slumped slightly, as if they were bearing an immense weight.

"You okay, Grand General Lahar?"

The bespectacled Rune Knight's gaze shifted away from the horizon with a confused expression. "You of all people know you don't have to refer to me by my title, Alice."

"Then talk to me, Ethical-kun."

Alice referring to him by nickname, despite it being annoying since their days in the barracks, was actually quite comforting in this situation. It was endearing, a jab towards his lifestyle of following rules and regulations, but endearing nonetheless. She rested a comforting hand on her former barrack-mate's shoulder.

"We've seen a ton of battlefronts before. What makes this one any different that you are starting to feel so nervous?"

"Everything, Alice." He gritted his teeth and the drumming of his fingers increased in tempo. "I was a simple captain not too long ago. Head Captain Han left and I was put in charge and now I quite literally hold everybody's lives in my allegedly capable hands. Hyberion-sama's words, not mine."

"Well...he's right." Alice shrugged, her silver armour clinking slightly at the movement. "The pressure on you is something I can't really comfort you about..."

"You? Comfort?"

"Shut up, Ethical-kun." The Light Magic user punched the Grand General of Fiore in a not-so-light manner. "As I was saying, the only thing I can do is remind you how you once dreamed of being in a high ranking position. You knew that there wouldn't be any sort of easy road to attain that. You knew the risks that came with any sort of position of power better than anyone in our generation of Rune Knights so don't starting second-guessing yourself now because that's only gonna make things worse."

"The enemy doesn't care about your feelings." Lahar muttered more to himself than to his fellow Rune Knight. "Head Captain Han literally beat that into us."

"Yup." Alice chuckled. "I can still remember your high-pitched screams."

"You might be mistaking mine for yours."

"Oh please." Alice rolled her eyes as she jabbed a finger against the green-haired man's chest. "I recall that our esteemed Grand General here actually crying for his mommy."

"Coming from the Rune Knight who tried to use her gender as a way to try and get the Head Captain to go easy on her."

"It could have worked."

"If he was into women who were less than half his age and flat as cardboard."

"I was eighteen, asshole!" The Lieutenant-General snapped. "Lots of girls don't get their growth spurts even by then!"

"Excuses." Lahar snorted. "The fact that you still refer to your hitting puberty as a growth spurt is still hilarious by the way."

"Ethical-kun, you askin' for a can of whoop-ass?"

The two Rune Knights would have continued their playful banter, something that served to ease the minds of the stressed crew of the command center considerably. Seeing two of their superior officers joking around in a highly stressful situation did wonders for them, but unfortunately all good things had to come to an end as the sound of the Terumi's radar system activating echoed throughout the command center.

"What the fuck?"

"What do you see, Tyson?" Alice and Lahar asked the older Rune Knight.

Years of dedicated service earned the Burst Magic-using veteran sniper the right to no longer wear the standard armoured helmet, and instead swapped it out for the more comfortable cap from his former occupation as a Magic Four-Wheel delivery driver. Major General Tyson Hammer adjusted said cap as he always did when he was nervous.

"We got five unidentified bogies coming from the east." Tyson informed his superiors. "Think that's them?"

"Can only be." The Lieutenant-General replied as her amber eyes seemed to glow. "What's the word, Lahar?"

The bespectacled Grand General didn't reply as he activated the Communication Lachryma that was on his work station.

"Attention, all ships! This is Grand General Lahar!" The urgency in his voice forced everyone around him to prepare for battle. "Five airships have been picked up on the Terumi's radar! Have all warships adjust the angles of the anti-aircraft cannons to allow for maximum firing distance, and prepare all defenses!"

(Insert Music: Fairy Tail- Guild Darkness)

War Room-Grimoire Heart Airship, Skies of Fiore

Fully clothed and at a level of strength that was beyond that of when he was in his prime, Purehito Gaebolg sat at the head of the table that made up the airship's war room. A map of the continent was laid out before him, his eyes narrowed in thought as he observed the chess pieces that were to represent his own forces and those of his opponents.

Meredy, Caprico and Bluenote all stood around the table in silence as their leader hummed in thought, but the humming was brought to brief pause as the demon blood holder heard the doors to the war room sliding open.

"I would have expected such tardiness from Shukaku, but not you, Ultear."

Shukaku merely shrugged in response.

"I apologise, Master." Ultear bowed her head. "I have no excuse."

The former master of Fairy Tail did not response to her, but instead turned to his guild's Edolesian resident.

"Where is Gaara?" The centennial asked, taking note of the lack of the red-haired man that usually accompanied the Sand Magic user.

Golden eyes glanced in the direction of where his shared living quarters with Gaara were located. "You know how he gets when a mission involving battle comes up. I gave him a stern talking to like the child he is, but I had to tie him down a bit so he wouldn't let that blood lust of his get out of hand."

Hades's demonic eyes glowed to reflect his annoyance, but decided that it was not worth the time nor effort to quarrel with the Ichibi when he would no doubt be ignored. Taking a calming breath, the Master of Grimoire Heart turned his attention to his second in-command.

"What is our status, Caprico?"

"We are moments away from arriving within Tenrou Island's airspace, Master." Caprico stated as he gestured to the five black chess pieces which were positioned over the Fiorean Sea. "Gem and Mini have maintained their cover aboard the Terumi, but recent reports have shown there to be no changes in the Magic Council's defensive plans against our oncoming attack."

"So they know that we're still coming." Meredy turned to her master. "Are we not going to act on that knowledge?"

"There is no need to worry, my dear" The dark guild Master offered a reassuring smile to the pink-haired child. "While we no longer bear the element of surprise, we still possess a greater hand in the form of our superior firepower."

"Five Jupiter Cannons is indeed quite terrifying show of power, Master, I agree to that." Meredy gestured to the chess pieces representing the Fiorean navy fleet surrounding Tenrou. "However, I still do not know what exactly is the plan to make up for us no longer being able to mount a surprise attack."

"Gotta side with the brat on this one, boss." Bluenote jumped in as he looked the map over with a lazy-eyed expression. "We can probably still send the armada flying, but they could probably have some defensive magic shield and whatnot set up to block our assault."

"That is true." Hades nodded in confirmation. "But the element of surprise is also lost on our opponents. We know their numbers and their positions. We also know their plan of attack due to Gem and Mini."

"You are very kind to provide my kin with such high praise, Master." Caprico gave the rejuvenated centennial a small bow of appreciation.

"Whether they are your kin or not Caprico, the fact is that Gem and Mini have done quite a stellar job at infiltrating and monitoring the situation within the F.M.S. Terumi. If I had been aware that celestial spirits had such versatile applications in these fields, I would have ordered an attack on Oracion to procure Angel's golden keys for the guild. Having Meredy retrieve the golden keys from her body after the Nirvana debacle is proving to have been quite a well-played move."

"Speaking of the infiltration onto the Terumi, Caprico," Ultear arched a violet-black eyebrow. "You're sure nobody has found the Rune Knight's body?"

"Mest Gryder has been effectively dealt with." The celestial spirit tone was resolute.

"Isn't that guy like, a super spy for the Rune Knights?" Shukaku asked. "Why'd you pick that guy out of all the Rune Knights to be the one to take out?"

"Mest was actually playing quite a profound role for the Magic Council." The spirit of the goat replied to the tanuki-esque Exceed. "As you correctly stated, he is a very prominent figure in the field of assassination and espionage for the Rune Knight Corp, and for the Magic Council as a whole. With that in mind, he would be privy to great deals of information including being one of the first members to be made aware of any notable changes in the Corp's strategies when we arrive."

"Fair enough, but like I said, he's a super spy." The Ichibi gained a perplexed expression. "How'd you even get rid of him?"

"Gem and Mini masqueraded as a common Rune Knight and proceeded to isolate Mest in his quarters." Caprico informed the youngest of the Nine. "A mere snap of the neck and throwing the body through the room's port hole made for an effective method of disposal. Also, Gem and Mini are capable of transforming into carbon copies of their targets down to their magical energy signatures so the likelihood of them being caught is near zero."

"All that cloak and dagger stuff is so boring. I would have just sent the man flying." Bluenote chuckled as an aura of magic energy outlined his clenched fist. "Even if it wouldn't have been a surprise attack, I'm sure that would have ended up being quite a surprise for the Magic Council."

"Your straightforward attack methods would have dealt quite a blow to the the Magic Council's forces, I concur." Bluenote smiled at the praise. "But I required a scalpel, not a sledgehammer."

The smile from the Ace of Grimoire Heart fell almost immediately. "Oh."

"Master?" Meredy raised her hand like a student in a classroom before dropping it as Hades gave her a nod of acknowledgement. "So just to clarify, our plan is to simply overwhelm the Rune Knights with sheer force of might?"

"Not entirely, my child." The demon blood holder replied. "Yes, we do possess significant firepower to overwhelm our opponents, but the Rune Knights also have taken counsel from the Ten Wizard Saints. Makarov would no doubt have had a part to play in their tactics and I know that boy inside and out. He will want to attempt to halt all conflict from the get-go with an attempt to intimidate us with the full transformation of his Titan Magic followed by the threat of Fairy Law."

"Fairy Law?!" Ultear exclaimed. "But that is allegedly Fairy Tail's trump card! Why would they use such a powerful spell at the start?!"

"As I said, Ultear..." Hades chuckled as he steepled his hands in front of his face. "...he will want to halt all conflict, and with a spell Master Mavis developed as the ultimate deterrent; a spell that effectively drains all magic and the literal will to fight from its targets, it is quite a fearsome thing. However, as a former Master of Fairy Tail, I am also aware of the spell's weakness."

"And what would that be?" Shukaku asked.

"That, Shukaku, is the fact that Fairy Law is a deterrent and thus must be countered with another of its kind. A deterrent to battle itself must be met with a counteracting force, a sense of maleficence."

"The Law of Opposites." Ultear's eyes widened in surprise. "So even Fairy Law can succumb to the universal concept of an opposite."

"Precisely, Ultear." Hades nodded in confirmation. "The Law of Opposites is what led to the creation of many things. Light and Darkness. Holy and Demonic. Earthland and Edolas. The universe itself runs on such a property to achieve a sense of balance and so I utilised the foundation that if Mavis Vermillion could create such a powerful magic to end a battle, then it would stand to reason that a counter to it can exist."

"And you've done it?!" The sand coloured Exceed's eyes widened slightly. "You have developed the ability to fight off Fairy Law?"

"It took many years inclusive of the time prior to when I founded Grimoire heart, but I managed to crack the code that was Fairy Tail's ultimate spell." The Master of Grimoire Heart did not withhold the bit of pride he felt at his accomplishment. "The only thing left is to search the island for Zeref's exact."

"Speaking of which, how are we going to find the Black Mage?" Bluenote asked. "Never really got how we suddenly knew that he was Tenrou."

"That, my boy, is because of the link I began to develop from introducing the demon blood into my system." Hades's crimson eye shone as if to emphasise the point. "The Demon Heart was a relic from the war that took place 400 years ago, a bio-mechanical marvel crafted by the descendant of Merlin. After I began transfusing the demon blood into my system, I developed a link between myself, the keys that we collected, and Zeref himself."

"So you were able to trace his magical energy signature then?" Meredy asked.

"Bright girl." Hades praised the pink-haired Kin of Purgatory. "You are correct, Meredy. It took some time while I was still in the transfusion tank, but I was able to do it."

"The One Magic is within our grasp then?" Ultear asked.

"Indeed my child." The bearded dark mage nodded. "The One Magic is practically ours, but I need not remind you just how much our strategy hinges upon your Arc of Time. Ultear, our ability to make it past the navy blockage hinges on your Rewind spell and if you are off by even one second, our ace in the hole that will allow us to hold off Makarov's full titan form will be lost."

"I am aware of what our airships are, Master." The purple-black haired mage bowed her head slightly. "I will not fail you."

"Of course not, and I do not expect failure from any of you either." The demonic blood holder directed a venomous tone to the other Kin of Purgatory and Bluenote.

"Yes Master!"

A knock on the door of the war room brought a brief pause in the meeting followed by the activation of the opening mechanisms.

"M-Master Hades!" The grunt stammered slightly upon realising all eyes were on her. "I apologise for the intrusion, Master, but I just came to inform you that we are now within Tenrou Island's air space. Battle preparations are already underway."

"Good." Hades shifted his gaze to his second in-command. "Ultear, come with me. The rest of you, you know your orders."

Commander Center- FKS Terumi, Fiorean Sea

The sounds of the naval vessels getting into position echoed across the Fiorean Sea as Lahar looked out over to the horizon from the main window of the Terumi's superstructure. The five tiny dots in the distance were steadily growing larger and Lahar turned to the trucker hat wearing navigator.

"Major General Tyson, what's the current distance between ourselves and those airships?"

"Current distance is 35 kilometres, sir!" The navigator replied as he looked down at the radar.

"Brosnan?" Alice stood a bit straighter as she realised the dark green-eyed man was no longer kidding around. Him referring to her by her last name was an indication of that. "What is the maximum firing distance of our ships?"

"36, sir."

"Take the initiative." Lahar's words were firm as he once again activated the Communication Lachryma. "All ships, fire!"

(Insert Music: Two Steps from Hell- White Witch)

Balcony- Grimoire Heart Airship

The wind made their hair whip wildly and the lack of wind resistance made Ultear feel rather chilly, her jaw shaking slightly as she withheld the physiological response to shiver. Her dark eyes looked straight ahead as she stood beside her guild master, the numerous black dots that were representative of the Fiorean naval force ready to welcome them.

"Get ready, Ultear."

"Yes, Master."

The daughter of Ur held out her hand, violet magic energy outlining her body.

The wind continued to howl, but it carried the voices of the 55 battleships with it. The whines and roars of the anti-aircraft weaponry echoed across Tenrou Island's airspace, smoke rose from the mouths of the cannons and the numerous muzzle flashes dotted the seascape like a line of starlight before they were replaced with the high speed projectiles that aimed to remove Grimoire Heart from its place amongst the clouds.

Bright blue energy beams and massive cannon shells rocketed towards them, marking the first wave of attacks. They struck home, piercing the thick armour plating and destroying much explosive material. Clouds of smoke and tongues of fire prepared to generate an explosive chain reaction that would result in all five airships being brought to a fiery doom and a swift victory for the Magic Council, but the younger Milkovich twin saw the entire chain of events as a mere annoyance.

"Rewind."

From their positions on the water, the Rune Knights of Fiore could only watch in both awe and frustration as a bright pulse of purple magic energy exploded from the frontal airship. It took them mere seconds to have finished firing the first wave and watch their enemies begin to go down in flames, but within that same amount of time, they watched the airships appear to heal themselves. Shards of steel and shrapnel fell perfectly back into place, fire and smoke vanished as if they had never even happened, and then they were all staring at a hovering line of their own weaponry. The energy beams, now spheroids of concentrated energy, were splayed out like a deck of cards alongside the cannon shells.

"Don't let up!" Lahar exclaimed through the Communication Lachryma. "It's just Ultear's Arc of Time magic! We know she's powerful, but we've been up against powerful foes before! This is a battle so there is no time to falter!"

Not for long at least.

"You are to treat this fight like any other. Even if it was against one of the strongest dark guilds, the Rune Knights are to do what we do best! Protect and serve for the sake of the kindgom and its people!"

The soldiers across the ships felt their spirits heighten from the determined words of their Grand General.

"So don't let up! Fire the second wave!"

The sounds of the second wave met her ears and Ultear looked on with a bit of surprise at how quickly the Rune Knights were unleashing their next attack. With a scowl, Ultear snapped her fingers and the Rewind spell once again activated for the paused barrage of weaponry.

The rewound projectiles were turned upon their users, following along the trajectories they previously utilized to then collide with those of the second wave. Cannon shell met cannon shell. Energy blast met energy blast. Massive explosions dotted the battlefield and powerful shockwaves made the waters churn below.

"I didn't think they would recover so quickly." The Arc of Time user frowned slightly. "So much for dropping their morale by reversing time on the airships."

"No, you most definitely have affected them." The former second Master of Fairy Tail smirked. "That pause prior to this second wave shows just how much of an impact you've made. Whomever their commanding officer is, they did a wonderful job of making them force down whatever feelings they may have experienced when you repaired the airships, but now they know the true extent of your abilities. They are now aware that it is wasted ammunition to try and take us out with their guns and cannons."

"So we have succeeded in showing them the futility of fighting at long-range."

"Indeed." Hades nodded as the light of the explosions were cast upon his face. "They will continue to fire their guns of course, and as powerful as you are, you cannot keep their attacks at bay forever."

The former second Master of Fairy Tail paused and looked to Ultear's lachryma. The younger Milkovich twin pumped a slight amount of magic into the teal coloured orb before the bearded visage of their airship's weapons commander came into view.

"Commander Smithers?"

"Yes, Master!" Smithers saluted as he was met with the visage of his superior. "The main guns and the energy cannons are all primed, however, the Jupiter Cannons will require an additional minute to fully charge!"

"Relay the command to all ships, Commander." Hades's demonic eye glowed menacingly. "Fire."

"Chouza-san!"

"Yes sir!" The red-haired Akimichi patriarch didn't need any further instructions from Lahar as he flared his magic energy as a signal to his clansmen. "Akimichis! Clear the air!"

"Chouza-sama!" The other Akimichi clan members spread out across the frontal line of ships took their places at the bows.

Though few since the fall of Konohagakure twenty years ago, the Titan Magic specialists were still a clan to be revered. Channeling their magic to their arms, a series of massive arms sprung into existence before they were all reared back. With a resounding battle cry, Chouza and his clansmen swung their arms forwards and clapped their hands together.

The cumulative shockwave created a powerful gust of wind that scattered the heavy smoke and the embers, thus restoring direct line of sight for the Fiorean navy.

"The line is clear, Grand General!" Chouza announced into his Communication Lachryma. "Proceed with the third wave!"

"Status received!"

The command was relayed to the battleships and thus they proceeded to fire their third wave of attacks. However, as their attack arched through the air, it was then that the Fiorean navy was able to gauge just how much firepower those five airships had in comparison to their 55 battleships.

It was almost blow for blow as a barrage of bullets and energy beams were fired from Grimoire Heart and collided with their own rounds of ammunition. There were a few stray energy blasts that managed to punch through the line of explosions, but just as it seemed they would make contact with the naval vessels, the blasts appeared to be absorbed by a layer of blue light which rippled with each impact.

"Very clever." Hades nodded in approval as he took note of the plasma energy shield. "They made us think they were wide open when they actually weren't."

"It also seems to only reveal itself upon contact with anything since it was invisible before we attacked."

"An astute observation, my child."

"Do you think they can withstand the Jupiters?"

"I would not wish to waste an attack from the Jupiters as a mere test of their defenses." The Master of Grimoire Heart narrowed his eyes as he observed the barrier's area of coverage just as it was about to dissipate from the realm of visibility. "Contact the command center of our ship. Have them scan for the shield generators for the barrier and then have Airships 3 and 5 concentrate fire at those points. Once we take down the barrier, then we will fire the Jupiters."

"Understood, Master."

Spy Network HQ, Eastern Fiorean Mountains, Fiore

"Status update." Naruto ordered as he strode into the tech room of the castle.

"I got a message from Shukaku saying Grimoire Heart and the Rune Knights have already begun their battle." Kurama stated as he turned to Sue. "How are things looking?"

"We have received confirmation from Gaara-sama and Shukaku-sama that the battle is indeed ongoing and we have a visual of the battlefield on screen 8." Sue replied as she gestured to the aforementioned monitor which showed an overhead view of the Tenrou Island region. "From what we have been observing, Grimoire Heart's firepower is proving to be overwhelming and though the Rune Knights are capable of matching them, Grimoire Heart's positioning by aiming from above is allowing them to place more angulated, accurate shots."

"The plasma shield is absorbing many of the attacks that manage to break through their waves." Haru added.

"That won't last for long." Nobunaga informed the room's occupants as he pointed to a few ships scattered throughout the middle and rear of the Rune Knights' fleet. "Now that Grimoire Heart is aware of the shields, they will most likely search for the generators to take them out."

"They have their back-up defenses?" Kurama asked.

"Well sure they have those, but can that really hold up to a Jupiter Cannon?" Alexander's tone showed that he didn't really have a lot of faith in the Corp's defensive capabilities should the plasma shield get taken down.

"If Fairy Tail is there, they might." Ash piped in. "I mean, they've got the S-Class squad down there plus Makarov. Not to mention they've got three dragonslayers too."

"On the topic of Fairy Tail, have there been any reports from Iron and Water Dragon?"

"Yes, Fuujin-sama." Sue nodded as she glanced down to the tablet in her hands. "Both have sent in their reports and the content is practically the same in that the Rune Knights have Fairy Tail on stand-by."

"Stand-by?" Naruto and Kurama looked at the green-haired woman with mild confusion.

"Yes, we...are also not sure what Lahar has planned by keeping Fairy Tail out of the fight."

"Maybe the ones who were picked for S-Class candidates, but I don't see a reason to put Makarov and the S-Class mages on hold." The Kyuubi no Yoko hummed in thought. "You think he's keeping them out to be aces in the holes if things go south?"

"It's probable." The son of Acnologia replied to his Exceed partner, but he didn't dwell on the thought for too long. "Any word from Gyuki and Isobu?"

"Gyuki-sama and Isobu-sama are still submerged and awaiting orders according to a report from Saiken-sama."

"Yup." The slug-costumed Exceed wiped away a bit of alkaline dribble from his lips before it could fall on the ground, lest he once again face the wrath of the dark-skinned second in-command of the establishment. "Isobu said he's fine and Gyuki's just kinda bored at the moment."

"With regards to Gyuki and Isobu...Saiken, inform them of a change of plans." The room looked at Naruto in confusion before he shifted his haze away from the Rokubi to that of Nobunaga. "Gaara spoke to me from my personal Communication Seal. Apparently, he and Shukaku managed to sneak into the engineering room aboard their airship and were able to retrieve the information about what those unknown attachments are and what they are for."

"We did receive a file from an unknown server." Nobunaga confirmed as he sifted through the spy network's files. "Because of the size and the nature of the file, I didn't want to open it lest it be a virus or some sort of malware. Sue, sending it to you."

Sue looked down at the tablet in her hands as the data was transferred to the device before she pulled up the schematics on the holographic projector. The three-dimensional data constructs showcased the five airships' blueprints. Sue tapped her tablet screen a few times and the data constructs reacted and the five airships began to shift and transform before their eyes.

"Oh." Haru gulped. "So that's what that does."

"By the dragons." The engineer in Nobunaga couldn't help but be amazed. "I mean, I thought I could design stuff, but this...How do you even begin to make this?"

"Clearly Grimoire Heart has had a lot of time on their hands." Kurama frowned before his eyes narrowed. "If the scaling for this thing is correct, then having Gyuki and Isobu prioritize this over defending against the Jupiters might actually be worth doing. People were going to die anyway, but it's best to not have them waste their energy blocking the Jupiter Cannons when this is clearly a weapon Hades had under his belt the entire time."

"I'm on it, Nii-san!" Saiken said as he began to establish the mental link with their aquatic-type siblings.

(Insert Music: Kimetsu no Yaiba- Resolve)

"...And I believe now is when Fuujin-sama and Kurama-sama will plan to depart for Tenrou?" Sue asked.

"Your tone suggests you are still against this decision." Naruto replied. "My decision."

"Is there something you wish to say?"

"N-" Her reflexive act to respond in a manner that would befitting of her superiors was held back, something which made said superiors look at her with quizzical expressions. "Actually, yes. Yes there is."

The tech room became slightly quieter in order to facilitate the act of eavesdropping.

"Oh?" Kurama's crimson eyes burned with curiosity. "Well by all means, speak your mind."

There was a level of intensity in the air that made Sue's throat dry. The dark green-haired woman, in all her time as second in-command to these two monsters of magic, had never once talked back to them in the manner she was currently doing so. It was always just a way of poking fun at her rank within the spy network, but there was a kernel of truth to when her fellow former Phantom Lord guildmates said she held a soft spot in her heart for her superiors.

Sue swallowed the lump in her throat and licked her drying lips in preparation. She calmed her nerves before meeting the much taller mage's gaze.

"Fuujin-sama, Kurama-sama, as your second in-command, I have always done as you have asked without question. To carry out your orders dutifully; that is what I believed was my duty ever since you formally placed the position upon me." The dark-skinned woman frowned slightly as she continued. "However, there are many instances where you both perform tasks that causes you to leave the castle. Watching you go out on your own and fighting for what you want is inspiring, and I have the utmost confidence in your abilities to complete your missions and return home, but..."

"But?"

"Everything we do...Everything you do, Fuujin-sama and Kurama-sama, you say it is for the sake of expansion of our spy network!" Sue made an exaggerated gesture to the entire room to emphasize her point. "But this entire escapade does not sound like something that would benefit us! We have been secretly helping the Magic Council by leaking information that we have Shukaku and Gaara obtain! We have been keeping an eye on the battlefield itself, sending Gyuki-sama and Isobu-sama to the front lines, and now both of you are heading to that same battlefield! All of these actions clearly have a purpose, but it seems to be something that only the both are aware of! I can't help but wonder why! Why are we doing any of this?! What is it that you are trying to achieve, Fuujin-sama?!"

"..."

The other occupants of the tech room dared not even breathe as they listened to Sue's words. These were actual conversations they've had amongst themselves in the past, but for obvious reasons, they would never question the orders they were given. The uncomfortable stares from Naruto and Kurama added another reason to the list of why they wouldn't want to question their superiors, but they were also not Sue. Someone who held both rank and a certain level of trust with the Ogonno Fuujin and Onibi Myobu.

"...You have kept these feelings at bay for quite some time it seems."

"I have." She confirmed with a stiff nod.

"You will not retract your outburst?" Naruto asked. "You will stand by your words?"

"I have followed you for the majority of this past year to the best of my ability, and ordinarily I would remain quiet no matter how outlandish the command." Dark coloured eyes hardened like steel. "But not this time."

"Only the executive members would dare to speak to us like this." Kurama chuckled. "Looks like you guys have finally gotten some spunk."

"Kurama-sama?"

"We were actually thinking of telling you guys what our end game is later on, but if you feel this strongly about it then I see no reason to continue keeping you all in the dark." The Kyuubi no Yoko looked to the dark skinned human, crimson meeting obsidian. "When all of this is stuff involving Grimoire Heart is over, call everybody back to base. We'll talk."

"You...You will?" She looked between the kitsune costumed Exceed and the blue-eyed dragonslayer. "What we're doing helping the Magic Council? What your plans involving the other Ten Wizard Saints that we had to look into Gilgamesh, Scheherazade and Zhuge Liang? Everything?"

"I swear an Oath of the Dragon, Sue." Naruto stated, the sound of thunder rolling echoed throughout the castle as he made the binding promise. "After all is said and done, we will tell you all everything."

"O-O-Oh." Sue blinked owlishly. This was definitely not how she expected this conversation to go. This was not how anyone in the castle would have expected this conversation to go. "Th-Then I will hold to your oath, F-Fuujin-sama."

A stiff nod was all the reply she was given before the son of Acnologia turned around to exit the room.

As the doors of the tech room closed behind them, Kurama hopped off of Naruto's head. The wings of his Aera Magic stretched out of his upper back to keep him aloft. He chuckled as he heard the sound of Sue falling to her knees, the adrenaline in her system likely running dry.

"She's a keeper, that one." The Kyuubi's grin stretched from ear to ear. "I'm tellin' you, Naruto, even after we tell them everything-"

"That...remains to be decided."

"Indeed it does, but they'll stick with us. All of them."

"..." Naruto gritted his teeth and shook his head, ridding it of the myriad of thoughts that currently plagued his mind. "We shall see, but for now, get Zabrock, Roshi and Wendy. We're heading for Tenrou."

"Oh captain, my captain."

FKS Terumi, Fiorean Sea

"How did they even figure out where the shield generators were?!" Lahar shouted.

"I don't know, sir!" One of the Command Center crew replied. "But our left flank is open with the loss of generators 3 and 4!"

"Status update!" Another crew member shouted. "We've just lost five ships!"

"A report from Chouza-san, that three of his Titan squad will move in to guard the left flank by fully transforming!"

As if to confirm this fact, all crew members looked out of the Terumi's superstructure in time to see three heavily armoured Akimichi Rune Knights standing at just shy of 100 feet tall, their arms crossed in front of their faces as they served as human shields for what portion of the left flank they could cover. Several more ships were lost from the energy cannon blasts that managed to scrape by causing Lahar to curse, the light of the burning ships reflecting in his eyes.

"Tyson! Alice! With me!" Lahar ordered.

"Sir!" The Major General and Lieutenant General followed their superior dutifully out of the Command Center and to the open deck of the Terumi.

(Insert Music: Two Steps from Hell- Flight of the Silverbird)

The sounds of combat became that much louder the moment they stepped out onto the deck, but it was white noise to them. Years of experience on the battlefront had turned them into hardened veterans of combat. Explosions and gunfire were nothing to them, but the screams of death were still something they could never get used to.

Lahar pushed it all aside as he turned his dark coloured eyes towards the Grimoire Heart airships and tapped the back of his right glove. A pulse of magic activated the circle of runes present on the glove, and in a flash of white eternano, the Grand General of Fiore now held a longbow made of shining silver. With practiced ease, the Grand General pulled back on the bowstring.

"I'll do what I can to divert the onslaught." Lahar said as he glanced to the two Rune Knights beside him. "Tyson, aim for the two airships that are targeting the shield generators and once you think you have a clear shot, Alice, you hit them hard."

"You got it, boss." Tyson replied with a tip of his trucker hat.

"...You think you can handle shooting down that heavy a barrage with Failnaught?" Alice tried to withhold the thought of failure, but she couldn't help it. Not when she was given such a close look at what they were up against.

"I didn't spend a two year exchange program in the Archer clan in Seven practicing the bow for nothing, Alice." The bespectacled bowman replied. "Failnaught being given to me by my master is testament to that."

In the field of magecraft, Caster-type magic was always seen as the superior form compared to Holder-type. They were known to have larger magic energy stores and because the power of their spells was directly proportional to said stores, they were quite known for being show-offs and users of flashy, destructive attacks. Especially users of Fire Magic.

The majority of the Rune Knight Corp, while they were educated in the theory and usage of magic weapons and weaponry in general, consisted of Caster types. For the reasons stated beforehand, it gave them all superiority complexes in the sense that they believed themselves to be destined for glory on the battlefield.

Lahar, being one of the Holder type users in the Corp, was quite often bullied for this fact. He was physically weaker in the initial stages of his training in the barracks, but he grew strong and cunning, taking up the use of long-range magic weaponry. The bow and arrow adhered to his preferences, and through sheer hard work, he gained the attention of those above him.

Head Captain Han, the strongest close combat user in the Corp despite being not able to use magic in the slightest, took him under his wing as a personal apprentice. Grand General Sheba, a Holder-type magic user herself, coddled him like a child despite being only five years older than him. However, her blatant favoritism truly shone when she allowed him to take part in one of the exchange programs to learn archery under the Archer clan in the kingdom of Seven on a personal recommendation. Interestingly enough, the majority of the Archer clan's masters very rarely used a bow.

One would think the Archer clan would actually be composed of archers.

Lahar was lucky enough to study under one of the few bow and arrow users, a descendant of Tristan and the former wielder of the bow he now wielded.

Silver light outlined the entire bow. The air between string and bow seemed to ripple, as if the mere act of drawing the bowstring had summoned forth an otherworldly force to Lahar's side. With hawk-like vision, the eyes of a trained marksman took in the entire scene before him. The rain of fire, light and metal that aimed to wipe out their defenses...that was his target.

'Two years with my master, and even then I could only perform one out of the hundreds of skills he knew.' The silver light shone a bit brighter and a mighty wind made his cloak billow wildly. 'I was encouraged...forced...to endure hellish training for which I was promised that I would be rewarded without fail. I was to take this one skill that I could learn and hone it to its utmost limit! To make this arrow...an arrow that pierces any and all things!'

"FANTASIA OF LAMENTATION!" He released the string and suddenly, it seemed as if space itself warped. This one spell of Failnaught was one which allowed the user to use the very air itself as a projectile by flicking the string. It was in essence, a vacuum arrow. Air resistance became negligible and the one projectile of compressed air and magic split forth to become a multitude that none could hope to count, even if they were visible. Thousands upon thousands of arrows forged from the vacuum dispersed the equally innumerable projectiles from Grimoire Heart's airships.

Explosions dotted the skies, but they were quickly snuffed out as the vacuum arrows did not allow oxygen to thrive and thus the flames were not allowed to do so either. What had once been a wall of projectiles was reduced to an empty void within a matter of seconds. It was a spectacular display of power, and if there were any Rune Knights present who once questioned the skill and power of their Grand General, they no longer existed.

"TYSON!"

"Burst Magic: Hellzone Grenade!" Tyson shouted. The Major General took advantage of the currently open air space and unleashed a barrage of neon yellow orbs from the magic seal that formed in front of his hands. They arced through the air like ballistic missiles towards the Grimoire Heart Airships 3 and 5, the ones currently targeting the naval vessels carrying the plasma shield generators.

Unfortunately, some of the energy-based projectiles were lost in fiery explosions as the airships' guns and energy cannons had not ceased in their activities. Numerous hellzone grenades detonated in fiery explosions, but there were those that powered through to arrive at their destinations, with the majority having managed to encircle airship 3. Once the orbs were in position, Tyson clenched his outstretched hands into tight fists and the energy orbs responded by rocketing into the airship from nearly all available angles, taking out several guns and energy cannons in the process.

"Lieutenant-General!" The veteran sniper turned to the golden eyed woman.

"Light Magic: Heat Ray!" Alice Brosnan's eyes shone brightly as magic energy collected within them. She charged the attack to its maximum before unleashing a powerful blast of concentrated light that generated a heat so intense, the surrounding air rippled. It speared through the energy cannon blasts from Grimoire Heart's airship 3 as if they weren't even there, and the rain of bullets from one of the vessel's guns were reduced to molten slag in midair. Finally, the beam of light made contact with its intended target and the airship began to go up in smoke.

"Fuck yeah!" Tyson whooped.

However, the cry of victory met a swift end as a pulse of violet magic energy from Airship 1 alerted the Major-General to Ultear's usage of her Arc of Time.

"Mother of fuck! How many fucking times can she do this?!" Alice's tolerance flew out the window ever since the second Rewind spell's use. "Just how much magic does this woman have?!"

Ultear panted, sweat dripping down her forehead and the sides of her face as the violet aura around her body flickered out of existence. She fell to her knees in exhaustion, Hades removing the hand he had rested upon her shoulder.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Master." The younger Milkovich twin wheezed. "Even with that bit of magic you just gave me, I don't believe I can manage another Rewind spell."

"You did splendidly, Ultear." The demon blood holder smiled affectionately at his second in-command. "I must admit that you performed beyond my expectations. To be able to reverse the destruction of the airships in addition to keeping our weapon stocks in a continuous temporal loop to prevent a significant loss in ammunition for a total of seven times is no small feat. It seems Brain's experiments, in addition to your unlocking your Second Origin proved to be a fruitful endeavour."

The daughter of Ur withheld the urge to flinch upon being reminded of the inhumane methods which led to her current level of power, but out of respect for the man before her, she responded with a nod of gratitude for the praise.

Hades reached down, picking up the lachryma from the floor. With a pulse of magic, the face of Commander Smithers once again formed within the orb.

"Commander Smithers."

"Master, the loop that Ultear-sama formed to keep our weapon stocks from reducing has been deactivated. Is everything alright?"

The bearded man replied with a matter-of-fact tone, "Ultear is merely resting, but she will recover. There is no need to worry yourself over such a thing." Hades stated with a matter-of-fact tone. "What is the status of our weapons stocks now that the loop has been discontinued?"

"Fifty-five percent of our bullet stock is gone, and the lachryma supplying power to the energy cannons have now reached seventy percent. We have been attacking practically non-stop since our arrival, Master, but we cannot keep up this type of offensive for much longer if we don't take down those shield generators within the hour."

"Then that means all is going as well as it should."

"Master?"

"If we are beginning to experience some sort of trouble, then that means our opponents are doing much worse." Hades smirked, his Devil's Eye glowing in a manner that seemed to reflect his amusement. "However, we do not need to take out their entire fleet. I just needed to create a gap large enough for me to draw out Makarov."

"Your orders?"

"Continue with the effort to destroy the shield generators with our medium artillery from ships 4 and 5." Hades's crimson eye shone brightly within its socket and the elderly guild master broke out into a maniacal grin which would forever haunt the mind of Commander Smithers. "Fire Jupiters 1, 2 and 3 with the aim to wipe out their left flank!"

Command Center- FKS Terumi, Fiorean Sea

Lahar felt somewhat guilty for leaving Tyson and Alice alone on the deck to continue being active long-range support, but as Grand General, he could not remain in active combat for too long. Twas the burden of leadership.

"That was amazing, Grand General!"

"You wiped out all those attacks like it was nothing!"

"So cool!"

The bespectacled man was greeted with compliments and applause for his efforts. It raised their morale. That was good. They needed their spirits to be high in order to continue this battle of attrition that Grimoire Heart dragged them into, but spirit and tenacity could only go so far.

"Grand General!" One of the crew members approached Lahar with the Communication Lachryma in hand. "Reports from Captains Shikaku and Inoichi!"

"Was is it, Shikaku-san? Inoichi-san?"

"Troublesome news, sir." The Nara patriarch's voice resonated from the lachryma.

Inoichi's voice popped immediately afterwards with an equal level of displeasure. "Reports from several of the battleships have come in regarding ammunition. The rear left flank is down by sixty-percent, and it's getting a bit worse since the shield generators were destroyed on their end. Some of the members from Chouza's unit are protecting them the best they can, which is helping them when it comes to channeling power in order to recharge the energy cannons, but as thick as their armour is, they can only hold out for so long."

From their view aboard the Terumi's superstructure, Lahar was able to catch a glimpse of the three Titan Magic users. Well forged metal plating bore numerous cracks from having to withstand repetitive large calibre bullets, and other areas, particularly the forearm plating when they had to protect their faces, glowed bright crimson from having to withstand the heat from energy cannon blasts.

"Inoichi-san, tell Chouza to have those three withdraw the moment he thinks they can't withstand the barrage for much longer." Lahar ordered. Inoichi became silent as he was most likely relaying the order to Chouza. "What's the status of the right flank and middle fleet?"

"We're faring a bit better due to our shield generators still being functional." Shikaku stated. "We're running close to falling below fifty-percent."

"We've only just started and we're already in a battle of attrition." The dark-haired Grand General clicked his tongue. "It may be a bit early, but we need to get in close and remove Ultear from the equation. So long as she is using her Arc of Time to repair the airships when we strike them down, we can't do anything. We are wasting valuable ammunition at this point."

"I share your view, but even if we were to go for an all-out assault, we may end up leaving ourselves unguarded, particularly the left flank."

"You're expecting an attack on that end?"

"I've already calculated it to be a likely event. Erza-sama and Gildarts Clive have been re-positioned on that end, and I am ready to give the command to have Laxus and Makarov-sama attack the airships."

"Send them out."

The Communication Lachryma lost its glow as their discussion ended, but the moment that problem ended, a new one reared its head.

"Grand General!"

"What now?!" The man was exasperated, but his eyes widened as he was directed to the flashing lights and colours on the radar screens. It was red. Red was never a good colour.

"High level eternano levels are being detected from three of the airships! They're firing the Jupiter Cannons!"

"SHIT!" The curse echoed throughout the command center and it seemed as if the entire room shook. "Are they aiming for the left flank?!"

"Yes! The airships have adjusted their trajectories slightly and are most likely aiming for the unguarded left flank!"

"Contact Erza-sama so that she and Gildarts can immediately prepare themselves! Make an immediate order to have Chouza recall those members of his unit that are currently protecting the left flank, and have Makarov-sama and Laxus immediately move out for a counterattack!"

Deck- FKS Enterprise, Fiorean Sea

It was orderly yet chaotic as the crew of the Enterprise had been issued the order to abandon ship. The sounds of the various Captains and Major Generals barking out orders to the common infantry soldiers were white noise to Erza and Gildarts as they faced their eyes forward.

As the Akimichi unit shrunk themselves down back to normal size for the retreat, the two S-Class mages now had a clear view of the bright purple rays of light that came from the mouths of the massive cannons of the Grimoire Heart airships.

"So how's that pretty face of yours holdin' up?" He chuckled before pointing at his cheek, referencing to the bandage that was still present on the Titania's face. "I mean, Natsu dealt you one hell of a punch."

"A love tap."

"A love tap that knocked you the fuck out."

"That makes the score 125 to 1 in my favour."

"Wow, you actually kept count?" The Ace of Fairy Tail laughed loudly. "I can't believe you would actually do something with that much effort over the course of so many years."

Gildarts couldn't but laugh even louder than before when, in a complete un-Erza-like fashion, she flipped him the bird.

"Struck a nerve have I?"

She shoved the armoured digit further into his face for emphasis as a response.

"So..." All witty banter was thrown out the window as the Crash Magic user became more focused on the task at hand. The roar of the Jupiter Cannons echoing across the seas. "You look like ready for this, kiddo."

"I blocked one of them before."

"Which is quite a feat, but this is three. I don't think that even you and I can hold off that much firepower." Gildarts frowned slightly as he clenched and unclenched the fingers of his automail arm. "Maybe if I had both arms..."

"Forgive my bluntness, Gildarts, but like you said...there are three of them. I highly doubt having both arms is going to provide a significant advantage here."

"Fair point." Gildarts's eyes then glowed with ivory light as he called upon his magic, the whine of the Jupiter Cannons growing ever louder. "Look alive!"

(Insert Music: Two Steps from Hell- Never Back Down)

The three cannon mouths glowed with violet light, the concentrated eternano now reaching its maximum input levels, before being unleashed as three devastating beams of pure destruction. The waves pressure exhumed by the blasts rocked the seas below and Gildarts raised his flesh and blood arm in defiance.

"Crash Magic: Disintegration!" His ultimate spell, the spell which held its own against the Roar of a certain blonde dragonslayer. The very atmosphere itself shuddered from the sheer force of the spell and a wave of bright white energy rushed forth from Gildarts's fist. The attack met the triad of Jupiter blasts head-on and a mighty clash ensued as the beams were now being broken down on a molecular level.

Beads of sweat traced the sides of Gildarts's face, his teeth gritting as he felt his body shift backwards slightly. While having only one arm did indeed limit his abilities, having both arms would have surely helped in holding off the attack for a little bit longer. If they managed to hold off the Jupiter blasts in their entirety, then more power to them, but the goal here was to merely ensure the evacuation of the Enterprise and the other surrounding ships was completed.

"Damn it all!" He dug his heels in and released a roar, his magic spiking to its apex. "Has it even been a minute?!"

"It actually has!" Erza replied to him.

"Are you fucking serious?!" He exclaimed in shock before releasing a nervous chuckle. "Man, I'm doing better than I thought, but by the dragons...I'm already feeling tired as hell! I really must be getting old!"

"Aren't you the one who says he's a spry forty-five?"

Gildarts smirked and offered a mischievous wink to the crimson-haired Wizard Saint. "And don't you forget it!"

Said spry forty-five year-old was indeed doing well despite his handicaps, but not even the mighty Gildarts Clive could fight against three Jupiter Cannons. His concentration to hold the Disintegration spell wavered before the blast tore through the air at breakneck speeds towards them.

The first barrier was breached, and thus it was time for the second to take its place.

"HRAH!" Erza slammed the halves of her shield together and her magic energy generated a massive emerald magic circle. The combined might of three Jupiter Cannons bore down upon her defensive barrier, and while one blast was certainly within her realm of capability, never had she thought that the density of three could be so great. Her knees nearly buckled upon impact and her arms immediately began to shake, her muscles screaming as they fought against the targeted attack of Grimoire Heart.

"It's so..." She gritted her teeth and felt a bit winded as she felt her body skidding backwards slightly from the force of the impact. "...So heavy."

"Makarov-sama! Laxus! Are you in position?!" Lahar called out over the Communication lachryma. "We have a visual on Erza-sama's barrier and it doesn't seem like it will hold out for much longer!"

"Don't get your panties in a twist, General." The over-confident tone of the younger Dreyar replied. "Jiji will stop that Jupiter blast without breakin' a sweat."

The barrier bore a spiderweb of cracks, said cracks only growing larger with each passing second. The sweat poured from her forehead to the point that it formed small puddles at her feet. Even with Gildarts coming to her aid, supplying her with his own magical energy to keep her barrier going, the Jupiter Cannons of Grimoire Heart seemed positively unstoppable.

The sound of her barrier breaking was akin to glass shattering. Erza and Gildarts glanced up with wide eyes as the bright violet beam cast its glow over their bodies. Their respective lives flashed before their eyes, but the roar of the Jupiter Cannon blasts was quickly drowned out by the mighty shout of their 200 foot tall guild master.

"FAIRY LAW!"

A golden magic circle sprung into existence, the insignia of Fairy Tail shining brightly within its centre, before a powerful wave of magic energy washed over the entire battlefield. The triad of energy blasts seemed to have vanished from existence as the wave of gold made contact with them, and continued on its path towards the Grimoire Heart airships.

"This battle is over, Grimoire Heart!" Makarov announced.

Mavis Vermillion was truly a genius in terms of her great intellect and her ability as a mage. Even he, who came across her as a child with Yuri Dreyar and Warrod Sequen all those years ago, learned a great deal from her. But as the eldest and strongest of her three companions, Mavis saw fit to use him as her advisor and her confidant. She sought guidance from him when she completed the unfinished spell that was simply known as Law, and thus he knew the ins and outs of Fairy Law.

So he knew that Fairy Law was not something as simple as an all-powerful glow of golden light that ended all battles. No, it was much more complex than that. It was a targeted manipulation of eternano on the enemy, drawing it out and transferring it into those who bear the mark of Fairy Tail to heal and restore vitality to those the user wished. In essence, it followed the Law of Conservation of Mass. A law involving matter.

So if the universal Law of Opposites was to be brought into effect, then in order to counter a spell involving the manipulation of matter, then it would only serve to simply counter it by manipulating the opposite of matter. Anti-matter generation was no small feat, but through magic and years upon years of research, Hades finally worked out the formula.

Hades chuckled from his perch atop his airship, an orb of purple-black energy held within his palms.

"You've retained that stupid level of overconfidence that you had even as a boy, Makarov." The orb in his arms pulsated and a large magic seal appeared in front of the airship. "It is time you learn humility, boy!"

Hades slammed his palms together and the orb he held was converted to a powerful pulse of violet-black, equal in size and intensity to that of the approaching Fairy Law spell.

"GRIMOIRE LAW!"

(Insert Music: Naruto Shippuden- Purge Goddess)

The two pulses of energy raced towards one another and Makarov felt the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck raise. Something was going to go terrible wrong the moment the two energies would collide, he felt it in his bones. He wouldn't be able to move fast enough to get Erza and Gildarts out of the way, but luckily there was his grandson who could move as quickly as a lightning bolt.

"Laxus! Get Gildarts and Erza to safety!"

"On it!" Activating Thunder in Heaven, Laxus's bright blue form sped across the airspace and quickly reached down, snatching Erza and Gildarts up in his hands. They retreated behind the plasma energy barriers and once their safety was assured, Makarov turned his glowing golden eyes back to the oncoming Grimoire Law spell.

How would a dark mage like Hades even know a spell based on the parent spell of Law? There were many questions running through his head, but the wizened guild master found his thoughts coming to a halt the moment his spell and Hades's met.

The very air itself seemed to rupture as matter and anti-matter met. Two materials that were never meant to co-exist for simply making contact on the atomic level meant the unleashing of energy on a scale equivalent to that of Etherion.

The world was engulfed in light as a massive explosion rocked the seas and made the heavens themselves tremble. Makarov was sent careening through the air and the Grimoire Heart airships were sent into dizzying tailspins, the output of the explosion and its accompanying shockwave was that massive. The skies turned dark as storm clouds rolled it out of seemingly nowhere. Hurricane force winds swirled and then the energy and light of the explosion began to collapse in on itself as what appeared to be a singularity formed before the two warring parties.

An empty sphere of complete blackness that seemed to draw in light itself occurred at the point of contact between the two spells unleashed by the Third Master of Fairy Tail and said guild's former Second Master. The saving grace of the entire situation though was that the singularity vanished just as quickly as it came, the atomic instability of matter clashing with anti-matter being an almost instantaneous process that resulted in both types of energy cancelling each other out.

"Wh-What...What the hell was that?" Gildarts managed to utter.

"It...They stopped..." Erza's eyes were like a deer's, wide and unblinking. "...They stopped Fairy Law."

"What kind of monsters are we even fighting?" Laxus growled, lightning sparking off his transformed body. "Nobody is supposed to be able to handle Jiji when he's like that. Especially when he uses his trump card."

The same level of surprise echoed across the Fiorean Rune Knight forces.

Hades climbed back to his feet, shaking his head clear of the cobwebs that came from having his airships nearly knocked out of the sky from the explosion. He could always provide Ultear with some extra magic and have her rewind time to bring them back had they crashed, but the level of destruction that came with fending off Fairy Law was a bit beyond the scope of his calculations.

However, the stopping of the ultimate deterrent served its purpose just as all his other modes of attack had done before. He could practically feel the morale drop in his enemy's forces, his amusement escaping in the form of a small laugh. He channeled his magic, his crimson eye glowing for a brief moment as he suddenly began to levitate.

The Master of Grimoire Heart hovered across the Fiorean Sea and paused as he came to float before Makarov Dreyar, the 200-foot titan having just recovered from the blast.

"Still the same as always, aren't you, boy?"

The way the elder Dreyar flinched showed just how quick Makarov had come to recognise both his voice and his way of speaking.

"Im-Impossible." The golden light in his eyes had long since died away, and so Purehito Gaebolg was able to see the surprise present in the dark coloured eyes of his successor. "It can't be? You...You should be..."

"Old? Dead?" Hades's Devil's Eye shone brightly and a toothy grin threatened to split his face. "Come Makarov, my boy, let me show you that right now...at this very moment...I have never felt more alive!"

(A/N: Sorry for the long wait guys. Hopefully this hasn't turned away too many of you from reading the story lol. Graduated university. Started working. Real life things giving me writer's block, but I finally managed to get time to sit down and write this chapter.

So the war with Grimoire Heart has started. Not much people have died as of yet. I was honestly planning on having the Jupiter Cannon blast actually wipe out the left flank, but with tacticians like Shikaku on his side, Lahar would be able to get the countermeasures up in time to at least hold off the attacks, and well Fairy Law and Grimoire Law, I always wanted to make the outcome of what would happen had those two spells collided. Generating a black hole from the collision of matter and anti-matter seemed like the most 'worst outcome' type of result I could think of.

Decided to give a bit more spotlight to the Rune Knights themselves as they are some of the key players in these war tactics, but they've had their time to shine. Now it's time for the mages to fight as Purehito will take on the Dreyars. Yes, plural. Laxus will jump in to fight alongside his grandfather next chapter, so you can look forward to that before Naruto shows up to give Hades an ass-whooping.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Remember to review, review, review! Till next chapter!)