Diablo Etwatia could feel it... She was getting closer....the one...the one he would defeat and use to complete the circle....it was almost time. TO DESTROY THE RAILGUN!!
Diablo looked around the square. Where...where would she come from...from above from the side? Her only hope at the moment was to attempt a sneak attack, or he would have her dead in one move. Not that it mattered of course, no attack she threw at him would be able to hurt him. She was a dead girl no matter how you looked at it.
Diablo possessed within himself the very power of a god in comparison to the mages of this world. While Mikoto Misaka, though powerful, had nowhere near that power to help her.
"I will ensure she has a swift death..." said Diablo. "There has been too many mistakes where Mikoto Misaka is concerned. She will die by my hand and no other."
"You're afraid." said a voice.
Diablo looked up, surprised that he hadn't noticed Mystia's presence. "Mystia Fernandes...how interesting that you would come at this hour...are you looking for a swift death as well?"1
"No.." said Mystia. "I have not come here to fight, but merely to watch."
"You actually believe this Railgun can defeat me." Diablo snorted. "Rich."
"Put on that amused act all you want." said Mystia. "But my master taught me to even read those like yourself. You fear the last words your brother told you, you are scared of the truth within them. It's safe to say that the Railgun is the first one you've ever feared ever since you defeated your own father."
"How do you know about that?" said Diablo.
"The guilds aren't the only ones who spoke with Angelus." said Mystia. "Face it...it's not being outmatched in power here....you know that, and so does she."
"That may be all good in the case of speeches and eloquent kings." said Diablo. "But this is war...survival of the fittest, and in a war like that, power is everything. Now silence girl...I have a threat to destroy."
Diablo continued to stare into the far end of the square as he stood silently in the center. He wasn't wrong, Mikoto Misaka would come after him, he was all that was left, he could sense it. Arachnis was dead, Aurumnus and Gore were both defeated, and Dravis had been forced to withdraw Exisio, not to mention the Assasins had been easily subdued with their leader dead.
"I am all that's left...for now." said Diablo as he looked at the magic circle behind him that had been drawn with black chalk. "As soon as the sun rises, and the light first hits this circle...the odds will officially come in my favor..."
"Oh really," said a voice. "And what makes you think you'll last until then?"
Diablo looked up. Mikoto Misaka was standing there, Natsu Dragneel, Hope Ellendiel and Kuroko Shirai were at her side as Happy and Elli flew overhead.
"So you have come." Dravis nodded his head. "Good...finally, I can end this."1
"Oh it's going to end alright." growled Natsu as intense flames engulfed his body. "But we're the ones who'll be doing the ending."
"Foolish humans...do you not realize what it is that lies behind me?" said Diablo gesturing to the circle behind him.
"Oh I don't know." growled Mikoto sarcastically. "A teleporter to the nearest Bastards R Us?"1
"When did you come up with that one?" said Kuroko.
"I admit, I've been thinking that one every freaking time I've ever looked at him." said Mikoto as sparks began jumping out of her bangs
"This is what shall finally replace the #1 rank in the Terrible Three of Hydra Head." said Diablo. "I've never been one for top positions, so I felt it was time for a new face."
"Another creepfest?" said Happy. "Haven't we had enough of you freaks?"
"Yeah!" said Natsu. "Put the chemistry set down and take what's coming to you!!"
"Oh, but you miss the point." said Diablo chuckling. "I'm not creating a new member...I'm resurrecting one!! I learned the secret to Night Reveler's magic before he was killed during the Grand Magic games. And thanks to my superior magic power, I will be able to resurrect the one mage that clown was never able to bring back!"
"You aren't talking about...?" said Mikoto as her eyes widened with terrible revelation.
"That is correct...I am bringing back Zeref!" said Diablo.
You're insane!" said Natsu. "Zeref would never obey Hydra Head even if you did ressurect him."
"I'll destroy that bridge when I come to it." said Diablo. "But what I find most interesting here, is why Railgun is still bothering to fight...I know what you read in the prophecy Mikoto Misaka...I have found a way to read it myself....death by the Piece Of Dravis's Heart...there is no greater agony...it would be more merciful for me to behead you right here."
"Shut up freak." said Mikoto as she continued to glare at Diablo angrilly. "I'm not doing this for me...I'm doing this for my family, so you can just go to hell for all I care."
"Go to hell..." said Diablo. "What an interesting phrase. Cause you see, I am Hell."
Diablo pointed a finger at Kuroko. "Begone weakling..."
There was a blast of dark energy and Kuroko was thrown back into the street and knocked unconscious.
"KUROKO!!!" Mikoto screamed.
"That's it!!" Natsu growled. "You're getting it now punk!!!"
Natsu launched himself at Diablo who held his hand out and flicked Natsu straight in the forehead. Natsu flew for 50 meters before exploding against the ground in a huge crater.
There was lightning quick movements and Diablo smacked Happy out of the air and knocked Hope out with one finger to the back of the head.
"HOPE, HAPPY, NATSU!!" Mikoto and Elli screamed in horror.
Finally Diablo grabbed Elli out of the air and held her there in front of Mikoto. "I believe she lives with you...this one.."
"Let her go!!" screamed Mikoto as her Thunder Dragon wings activated. "I'll kill you!!!!"
"I think not.." said Diablo. "I think I'll crush this one slowly until you submit." Diablo began to squeeze Elli who cried out in pain.
"M-Mikoto....h-help..." Elli sobbed tearfully.
"No.." said Mikoto her eyes wide with utter fear. "Stop it...stop it.."
"I think I might have to clean my armor after the initial blood splatter." said Diablo as he continued to squeeze tighter and tighter. "You can surrender at any time."
"M-Mikoto...don't give up.." said Elli as she continued to cry from the apparently increasing pain. "Y-you can still beat him..."
"Quiet you.." growled Diablo.
Stop it...Stop it...STOP IT....STOP IT..STOP IT..STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!!!!!!" Mikoto screamed as the very ground began to shake around her.
"What?" said Diablo as he watched Mikoto. "This power increase...it feels...familiar."
Mikoto screamed as she was engulfed in black lightning which blasted into the sky with incredible power. Her wings turned into black solidifed plasma like last time as both her eyes turned black with one white pupil. black plasma talons emerged on her feet and legs as a massive black plasma tail grew out of her backside. Huge black electric horns forme on her head as electric spines also formed on her back.
A tremendous black lightning bolt shot out and blasted straight into Diablo's face as he dropped Elli.
Diablo soared into the sky as Mikoto leapt after him, leaving a crater in the wake of her kick off. Mikoto began punching her plasma talons into Diablo at the speed of a bullet as they both shot into the atmosphere.
"DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!!!!!!" Mikoto screamed as she continued to pummel Diablo with all the power she possesed.
Mikoto's wings fromed into long black spear like tendrils and stabbed into Diablo's torso, pushing him down into the earth far below in a huge explosion of rubble. Mikoto shot back down to Earth with her entire body engulfed in a storm of black electricity. Thee was an explosion of black energy, and Diablo was thrown over 60 feet through several buildings as Mikoto followed up with more rageful powerful moves.
Mikoto's plasma talons both shaped themselves into spears as Mikoto shot forward and prepared to stab Diablo through the heart. She was sick...sick of the wretched creature who stood before her, the wretched creature who had hurt so many of her friends. So sick, that she didn't even realize she was losing control.
Mikoto thrust her black plasma spears at Diablo's torso, intending to run him through, only to have her claws be caught by both of Diablo's hands.
"So I see you start shifting to level 6 whenever you are stressed to the breaking point." said Diablo. "Amusing."
"Th-there's not even a scratch on you..." said Mikoto gritting her teeth in pain. "Wh-why?"
"Maybe you should actually reach level 6 before you can start overpowering me... little girl." Diablo squeezed the black talons he held until his hands crushed through the black electricity and he began to crush Mikoto's hands.
Mikoto buckled onto her knees as she screamed from the combined pain of her hands being crushed and the level 6 shift power going more and more out of control.
Diablo let go of Mikoto's now bleeding hands and kicked her in the chest, causing her to roll and tumble into another building with a sickening crunch as the house came tumbling down on her...Mikoto used her shoulders to crawl out of the rubble and gritted her teeth as she felt the pain from her now broken hands and ribs.1
The only good thing that had come out of this, was that Mikoto's level 6 power had shut down at the moment, so that she didn't feel as painful as it would've felt if it were still on.
"Owww.." Mikoto mumbled as Diablo walked over and placed a foot on top of her head.
"So this is the one destined to destroy Dravis?" said Diablo. "I'm afraid I just don't see it."
"GET OFF OF HER YOU EVIL CONIVING MONSTER!!!!" Natsu shot out of nowhere, his fists blazing with powerful fire. "CRIMSON LOTUS: EXPLODING FLAME BLADE!!!!"
Natsu swung his fists around, and a powerful tornado of fire blasted into Diablo and exploded in a display of massive power as Natsu grabbed Mikoto in his arms and jumped out of the way.
However, Diablo waved his hand casually and dissipated the flames with just one sweep. "Really...I was expecting more Salamander...I thought you usually possesed the power to overcome impossible odds...but now, I see I might have been wrong on that notion.."
"Shut up you overconfident monster!" said Natsu angrilly. "I've had about just enough with your crap...you think you can just hurt my friend and get away with it. IT MAKES ME SICK TO MY STOMACH!!!"
"Does it now?" said Diablo laughing. "Because it fills me up with absolute pleasure. Your race has always been nothing but bugs for my people to step on...the sooner the rest of my kinsmen realized this, the better...yet still, I had to deal with those who thought you puny things were actually worth something, just because of your idiotic ability to feel emotion...something even a monkey could do."
"D-don't you dare belittle the human race.." growled Mikoto. "We're not some sort of prey for your fly swatters."
"Actually...you are." Diablo swatted the back of his hand into Natsu's face. Natsu dropped Mikoto as flew through several hundred buildings.
"Natsu No!!" Mikoto stared frantically at the wreckage as Natsu pushed some rubble off himself with one arm. As the other arm was hanging limply at his side, Mikoto could see it was broken.
"Don't you worry Mikoto.." said Natsu tiredly. "We're going to beat this guy senseless, you'll see...he'll never bother you again..."
"BLLAAAAAMMMMM!!!" Natsu was blasted into the ground by a ray of molten black energy from Diablo's eyes.
"No..." said Mikoto as she watched Natsu fall to the ground unmoving. "This can't be happening..."
Diablo pointed a finger at Natsu. "One more blow should finish him."
"NNOOOO!!!!" Mikoto jumped in front of Diablo with much effort as a ray of black energy shot from Diablo's finger and hit her.
Instead of blasting her back though, The energy suddenly swam with erie light and absorbed itself straight into Natsu's scarf around her neck. The scarf turned black as it absorbed the evil energy. Mikoto fell to the ground as the scarf fluttered off of her.
"I see this is of Igneel's make." said Diablo looking at the scarf that lay upon the ground. "Pathetic craftsmanship."
"Don't you say a damn thing about that scarf..." Mikoto growled angrilly. "It was given to Natsu by his father..."
"Father?" said Diablo. "Don't be ridiculous...that boy is no Dragon Born....he is merely a Dragon Slayer created through artificial means devised by the dragons eons ago...The Dragon Borns were around long before his pathetic ilk...The true first Dragon Slayers, the ones who inspired the Dragons to begin sharing their knowlege with humans in the first place."
Diablo stomped on the scarf. "This is nothing but trash given to an big headed newbie.."
Mikoto began to see red as she was filled once more with rage. "Get your filthy foot away from that...."
"Why certainly.." Diablo stomped on Mikoto's chest instead. Mikoto coughed up blood as she felt her ribs break.1
"What's the matter?" said Diablo. "Finally staring Death in the face?"
"Idiot..Death must be beautiful compared to whatever gross thing is under that helmet of yours..." Muttered Mikoto.
"Fine.." said Diablo. "I see any continued conversation would be pointless. Goodbye, Railgun."
As Diablo's foot moved closer to Mikoto's throat, the world seemed to go gray around her. Suddenly Diablo's foot stopped midway, the wind stopped blowing, and the clouds stopped moving.
Mikoto looked around. Was she dead? No...her injuries were still there. What was going on?
A golden eye opened up in the sky above her.
"What is wrong child?" said the voice of Elanis. "Why do you hurt so...?"
"M-my friends..." said Mikoto. "I need to help my friends..and I can't."
"But you need merely ask..." said Elanis. "And help will be given...always remember that...look within your pure heart and know this...for there is a reason you and I are now one..."
Immediately Mikoto felt a warmth go through her as time sped back up again and Diablo's foot came down at her throat.
Surprising herself, Mikoto's hand moved up and caught Diablo's leg and threw him straight over her to the left, causing a humungous crater to erupt where Diablo had fallen.
Diablo stepped out of the crater, surprised. "Impossible. I destroyed your hands.."
Mikoto got up from the ground as her wings reformed themselves. Her arms were covered in silver scales as well as in various parts of her body where she had been injured.
The area around Mikoto's body began to tremble with power as she immediately entered Dragon Force and her wings formed into six angelic wings.
Thundering Arch Angel gave a massive flap as power began to increase further around Mikoto.
"Something..." said Diablo. "Somthing is living inside of you...giving you more power.. what is it?"
"Yeah..." said Mikoto. "Like I'm going to tell you...ROAR OF THE THUNDER DRAGON!!!!"
Mikoto opened her mouth, and a beam of high powered lightning shot out, more powerful then ever before.
Diablo put his hand out and blocked the beam. However, instead of dissipating, the beam forced itself into Diablo and he was blown away high into the sky.
Mikoto took aim at Diablo with her fist. "SECRET ART: RAGING THUNDER CANNON!!!!!"
A massive blast of electricity shot out of Mikoto's fist and exploded against Diablo in mid air, causing the entire island to shake with power.
Diablo fell to the earth and exploded against the cobblestone road. When he emerged from the dust, Diablo looked at his armor in shock to find that much of it was cracked from the blows he had just recieved.
"Impossible...this isn't possible at all...unless..." Diablo looked up at Mikoto with a large sense of revelation in his molten eyes. "Elanis...this was her island."
"Oh wow.." growled Mikoto. "So a light finally goes off in the hollow helmet. Impressive."
"Don't mock me girl!" said Diablo. "I am not some cheap creature like all the other enemies you have faced...I am Diablo Etwatia...I am a god among men and you are but a measley speck."
Diablo thrust his hands up into the air. "Prepare yourself for a true battle. "DEVIL'S ART: GENERAL OF THE DAMNED!!!!"
A dark energy blast engulfed Diablo. When the energy cleared A massive black monster stood in Diablo's place. The creature looked like it was completely comprised of black spikes that jutted out all over his skin like scales. Multiple green glowing eyes were all over the spikey head at random areas. In the center of his spikey chest, was a glowing green skull.
"That one's new." muttered Mikoto.
"Behold, this is the third of my Purgatory aspects." said Diablo. "the King represented anger, the advocate represented mercilessness, and finally the General represents power.."
"Wow..." said Mikoto in a very sarcastic tone. "That sure sounds interesting. I might have lost you when you started saying...'behold,' but don't worry...I think I've heard enough to know that I'm going beat you till you hit this planet's core!!!!!!!!!!"
Mikoto engulfed her fists in lightning as Diablo engulfed his fists in dark energy. The two launched themselves at each other and colided in an explosion of power. A shockwave erupted from in between the two combatants that leveled 5 miles of buildings to the ground (luckilly, everyone escaped to their underground cellars.)3
At first the battle went punch for punch. Mikoto slammed Diablo with a couple of uppercuts powerful enough to level mountains while Diablo did the same. With every blow the other opponent landed on each other, another earthquake would shake the island.
"Alright then.." said Mikoto wiping a bit of blood off her chin. "Time to really get serious..."
Mikoto's Thundering Arch Angel gave a massive flap and Mikoto's wings began to glow as bright as the sun itself. "SECRET ART!!! ANGEL BLIGHT OF THE THUNDER DRAGON!!!!"
A massive wave of lightning blasted out of Mikoto's wings and rammed into Diablo throwing him into the ground in a massive blast of energy, using the distraction, Mikoto dashed at Diablo with incredible speed.
The moment she got right next Diablo, she punched at him with a lightning engulfed fist. Diablo, anticipating the move even as he was blasted back raised an arm and blocked the lightning engulfed fist with a spiny arm.
Mikoto pulled back as she felt the spines pierce the skin on her hand. She jumped in the air as the skin on her hand healed and puffed up her cheeks. "SECRET ART: GINORMOUS ROAR OF THE THUNDER DRAGON!!!!" Mikoto shot a beam at least 50 times larger then her last roar attack at Diablo.
Diablo thrust out both fists at the incoming attack. "HELL'S RETRIBUTION!!!" A blast of black fire blasted out from Diablo's fists and intercepted the roar attack. An explosion ripped the air apart where the two moves collided.
Diablo burst through the smoke, his arms completely engulfed in dark energy. "HELL'S HAMMER!!!"
Diablo lashed his arms down at Mikoto in a deadly overhead blow. Mikoto closed her Thundering Arch Angel wings over herself in a defensive manuever. The moment the moves collided, Diablo was blasted back by powerful electricity.
Mikoto opened her wings suddenly, a powerful wind blasted out from when her wings opened, Mikoto jumped into the air, leaving a crater in her wake and her arms became covered in electric energy that both morphed into large bladed zanbato swords.
"EXCALIBUR OF THE THUNDER DRAGON!!!!!"
Mikoto sliced the two swords in an x shape, and two massive blasts of electricity rippled outwards from the blades and smashed into Diablo.
Not hesitating for a second, Mikoto dashed forward and just as she came close to Diablo, she began swinging the lightning blades at increasingly impressive speeds. Every 0.1 second, an electric blade sliced into Diablo. Mikoto roared as she continued her assault, putting every fiber of her being into destroying Diablo and leaving nothing left.
Finally Mikoto combined the two blades into one giant electric zanbato and sliced downwards, creating a huge explosion on near nuclear levels that was somehow contained so that it wouldn't destroy the rest of the town.
However, the moment the electric explosion dissapeared, there was another explosion of black energy and Mikoto was thrown back as Diablo raised hands and laughed. "Yes!! Use all your power!! This will make your death all the sweeter when I destroy Elanis along with you...It's time for you to face facts....Dravis has won, even before your destined time to face him you have lost."
Mikoto staggered to her feet and began to glare at Diablo angrilly as a powerful electric aura surrounded her.
Diablo stumbled back, suddenly feeling a fear he could not explain..what was this he was seeing? There was not a trace of fear in the eyes of Mikoto Misaka. Instead was a terrible will, a will to beat down Diablo with every ounce of power she had left. Behind Mikoto, the image of a roaring golden dragon appeared...was this an illusion? Or was this girl truly a monster?
"NO!!!" said Diablo. "I will not allow such a pathetic illusion scare me!!! Opulentus! It's dinner time!!"
"Thank you master.." said the green skull in Diablo's chest. "I am feeling most hungry."
Diablo wrenched the skull out of his chest and threw it into the sky. Like with Diabolus, the skull grew bones muscles and skin, however it also grew multple other skulls on top of it's muscular neck, and the skulls remained as skulls without in muscle or skin and became wreathed in blue flames. The same blue flames filled the eyesockets of the muscular multiheaded 120 meter skull creature.
The creature lashed out a massive fist straight on top of Mikoto creating a ginormous earthquake in the process, in the distance, several mountains had avalanches that could be seen all the way from town.
A light began to appear and grow bright from under Opulentus's fist as electricity ran down his arm. Suddenly Opulentus's arm exploded in a shower of dark energy and blood. Opulentus staggered back, his multiple skulls crying out in pain.
Mikoto's Thundering Arch Angel wings had grown massive. Mikoto took a small coin out of her pocket. She rested it on her thumb and aimed it at Opulentus's chest.
"NO!!!" shouted Diablo. "Opulentus, FINISH HER!!!"
Opulentus opened his multiple jaws as the flames wreathing his skulls grew brighter. "Devour...Diablo's Power!!!"
A massive burst of blue flames powerful enough to demolish a mountain range blasted down at Mikoto.
As the flames bore down on Mikoto, the coin on her thumb gave a spark, and all of a sudden a tremendous crossbow made out of golden light appeared on her hand, the coin was set where the arrow was usually, a massive light morphed around it and formed into the arrow. The golden crossbow had intricate intertwineing dragons decorating it.
"ONE OF THE FIVE ARTS OF CREATION!!" DIVINE RAILGUN!!!!"1
There was burst of lightning, and the arrow blasted forward in a tremendous beam of light. The beam of light tore straight through the blue flames, dissapating them and tearing a hundred foot hole straight in Opulentus's chest.
As Opulentus began to disintegrate, Mikoto jumped at Diablo and clasped her hands together. "The light which guides the energy of the sky... It trembles with the power of the Fairy King...Let it rain down with glittering light and show it's true strength!"
Mikoto thrust her hands out at Diablo. "Rain down and declare your light!! FAIRY THUNDER!!!!"
The massive golden and silver magic circle with the Fairy Tail emblem formed in the sky above Diablo. In an instant, a tremendous lightning bolt of unrivaled power smashed down from overhead.
Diablo could be heard yelling as the move ripped at his very spikey skin.
When the light cleared...Diablo was back in his normal form, and Mikoto was standing above him with a spear made of lightning aimed at his head.
"This is for Angelus you bastard.." said Mikoto readying the spear.
"Do it then..." said Diablo. "I have no honor left...I was defeated by the same opponent twice. So do it, and prove yourself a true warrior..."
Mikoto's hand shook as she aimed her spear at Diablo's head. She wanted to do it...she wanted to do it as much as she desperately wanted all her friends to be alright, as much as she wanted to run home and embrace Touma and not let go...to find Elli and tend to her injuries. But she couldn't do it...No matter how much she had suffered, Mikoto Misaka was not a killer.
Mikoto began to cry as her lightning spear and wings dissapeared into golden sparks. "Damn it...damn it.."
Diablo chuckled..but this time it wasn't with hilarity or a mocking attitude...it was as if he had resigned himself to a simple truth. "You are stronger then I thought Mikoto...you would not succumb to the darkness even if it was staring at you straight in the face...well done...but rest assured, this will not be my final fight with you...as long as Hydra Head still exists...so will I..."
"Shut up..." Mikoto sobbed. "Just shut up.."
Suddenly there was a burst of dark light coming from the center of the square. Mikoto looked up in surprise then looked at Diablo.
"The seal..." said Diablo. "It seems the first light of dawn is finally here."
Indeed, the sun was slowly creeping over the horizon, it's light creeping over the city.
"It is too late." said Diablo. "Nothing can stop it now....one of the greatest threats that Earthland has ever faced...is now a servant of Hydra Head, prepare yourself Railgun. For when He is done reviving...chaos and death will reign supreme...and Dravis will have what he needs..."
The column of black energy was coming out of the black magic circle that Diablo had drawn earlier. There was a final burst of black energy followed by an image of Night Reveler's mask in the smoke cackling and saying the words. "1 of 5, 4 resurrections left to the unperishable soul."
The black energy dissapeared to reveal a man in black and white robes with black hair. the man clutched his head wearily. "Ow...it hurts....have I returned....to the living world?"
The man raised his head, his eyes were a glowing red. "So I have returned..."
The man turned to look at his right hand which had been branded with the three headed Oriboris of Hydra Head. "And it seems I have a new master...how strange...how very lonely."
The man looked at Mikoto. As she stared at those red eyes, somehow Mikoto knew, even though she had never seen him before, even though she had only heard rumors of the terror and darkness he brought with him....:
Lord Zeref had returned.