Ultear Milkovich was uneasy.
Today, all of the Seven Kin of Purgatory had been called to the conference room of the Grimoire Heart airship. Six of the seven were already in attendance and ready to begin, along with Bluenote Stinger and Master Hades. They were all just waiting on the most recently promoted member of their ranks, White.
She hadn't seen him in over a month now, not even in passing. Ever since his mission to kill the leader of the Oracion Seis, White had been incredibly reclusive. He holed himself up in his room and only left to directly go on missions when ordered by Hades. Ultear had heard from both the grunts and from Meredy that he appeared to be incredibly rattled when he returned from that mission, but she had no clue what could have caused it.
The White who she knows is a monster, a creature that feels no remorse as it plays with the lives of others like toys. She had been there when he tried to kill Zancrow. If it weren't for Master Hades' intervention, Zancrow would undoubtedly be dead. The look on White's face at that time, as a 10-year-old child of all things, was not human.
Even worse, however, is what he does to acquire those eyes along his sword. She had been in Hades' office, watching with him, when White acquired the second eye from the Teleport mage. What he did wasn't for the sake of some goal or to increase his abilities. No, he tortured that woman for the fun of it. Cutting off her limbs one by one and cheering her on as she tried to crawl away. He even used his magic to prolong her life and keep her conscious through it all. What he did could only be called monstrous, and that's not even considering the slaughter that came before it.
That child is a devil, incapable of human emotions. That was why she didn't want Meredy near him. So, what could put someone like that into such a state? What exactly is he thinking about that is eating him up so much?
The door slowly creaked open and a figure walked into the room. At first glance, everything about him seemed normal. He wore the same clothes as always. His hair was in the same messy ponytail. His pace was even and his mouth was set in a neutral line.
Nothing looked out of place, but when he sat down across the table from Ultear, she shivered at what she saw. His eyes were filled with swirling emotions, hatred and anger being the most common to appear. He is normally a person who is on edge, but right now, looking at him wrong could probably get her killed, so she quickly averted her gaze to the table.
She and Master Hades have always known that White is mentally unstable. He tries to justify the things he does and averts his eyes from the truth about what he is. He is quick to jump to conclusions about what other people think and he finds meaning in things where there is none. They've always known that eventually the mask that he wears would fall off and he would entirely embrace the monster that he is. However, they had thought it would take a few more years for him to get past his denial of what he is.
They didn't think it would happen so soon, but anyone looking at White and saying otherwise would be lying to themselves. The boy is coming undone and nothing will be able to change that. Now, it's just a matter of whether or not they'll be able to control the monster that results from this change.
Ultear looks to her guild master in concern, but he only smiles at her in response. He is fully aware of what is happening to White, and it would appear that he welcomes the change.
"Now that everyone has arrived," Hades begins. "I will brief you all on our next move. We have all the keys to awaken Zeref, all that is left is to acquire him and bring about the Ultimate Magic World."
"Does this mean that you have located the abode of our slumbering dark lord?" Rustyrose asks with his pointlessly flowery language.
"Yes, Rustyrose. Zeref is slumbering on Tenrou Island, the holy ground of the Fairy Tail guild." Hades confirms.
Finally! Finally, her goal is in sight! Ultear's heart flutters at the thought of nearing her goal. Everything she has done, everything she has put up with was for this. To create Zeref's Ultimate Magic World and get her a second chance at life. Her life of happiness.
"So, will we retrieve him immediately?" Ultear inquires.
"No, Tenrou Island is special in that it can only be accessed at a specific time. Other than that time, it is always hidden by a barrier that is beyond any of our abilities to breach. However, it will be accessible when the master of Fairy Tail brings his guild there for their S-class promotion test." Their guild master explains.
"UHAHAHA!" Zancrow's laughter fills the room. "So that means we get to kill them too?!"
"Just so," Hades confirms. "We will be going to war with Makarov's strongest children from Fairy Tail. However, they are blind to the true essence of magic. You will not lose."
After that, Hades described to the seven everything about Fairy Tail and Tenrou Island that would be important for the coming war. He told them about all the strongest members of Fairy Tail and what magic they use. He spoke of only two people whom we would need to be cautious of: Makarov Dreyar and Gildarts Clive. Ultear already knew about all of this from her work in the council, but it would still be important for the others to know. Next, Hades spoke of something even Ultear didn't know. Something that only a master of Fairy Tail could know.
"The giant tree that makes up the core of Tenrou Island is the source of the Fairy Tail mages' magic power. Destroy that, and they will be helpless to fight back. Originally, Azuma would have been the best man for the job, however… White." He looked over at the boy who had only been halfheartedly listening to the briefing.
"Yes, Master Hades?" His voice is even and robotic, a stark contrast to the swirling emotions in his eyes.
"Your Cellular Manipulation Magic, have you reached the point of manipulating plants yet?"
"I have," White confirms. "It takes more time than flesh and my control isn't as fine, but if it's just a matter of uprooting a big tree, it won't be difficult."
"I see," Hades stares long and hard at the boy as if he's trying to put something together. "Fine then, you will lead the vanguard group. Yomazu and Kawazu will come with you and your job will be to lead the attack and destroy the tree when the main force arrives."
"Understood. It will be done." White accepts his task as always. No matter what, he never rejects a mission.
"I expect nothing less." Hades sweeps his vision across everyone present in the room. "The Fairy Tail promotion test will take place on the 15th of December. That means that you all have 11 days to get prepared for the attack. It's time to usher the world into a new age, an age defined by the true essence of magic."
.....
Mirajane Strauss still couldn't believe it.
Her little sister is still alive! She had fallen into Edolas and lived in another world, but she never died. She survived, and now she is back. Mirajane and Elfman haven't let little Lisanna out of their sight ever since they returned from Edolas. How could they?
After all the pain and heartbreak they had felt for the past two years, there was no way that they would be able to stay away from her. Mirajane understands that they will need to give Lisanna some space eventually, but for now, she will hold onto her little sister as tight as she can.
Right now, they are all sitting together at a table in the guild hall. Everyone around them is frantic with energy and movement, and she can tell that Elfman is getting antsy too. He is torn between wanting to stay with Lisanna and wanting to take as many jobs as he can to earn his right for the S-class trial.
"Elfman, you can go and take a job. Leave little Lisanna to her big sister." Mirajane urges.
She's not at all thinking that she wants her oversized brother out of the way so she can have her cute little sister to herself. It never crossed her mind. Not once.
"Yeah, Elfman, I'm back to stay now. So you don't have to worry about me, just do your thing and get yourself that promotion." Lisanna joins in, pumping her fist towards Elfman for emphasis.
"You got it Lisanna! That's manly of you!" Elfman shouts with tears in the corner of his eyes as he runs off to grab a job. "I can't call myself a man until I earn that S-class spot!"
"... Lisanna, I have to tell you something."
Once Elfman has left (And after several hours of overly clingy cuddling), Mirajane speaks to her little sister in a somber tone before leading her out of the main hall and into the guild library, which is currently empty. When they get there, Lisanna stops and looks up at her big sister with a concerned expression, confused about the sudden change of tone.
"Mira? What's going on?" She asks.
Mirajane takes a deep breath to steady herself and find the right words. As the eldest child, it's her responsibility to tell Lisanna about this. She can't put that burden on Elfman or Master Makarov.
"Let's sit down first." She leads Lisanna to a nearby bench. "Now, I want you to stay calm and listen to what I have to say. Okay?"
Lisanna looks into her sister's eyes, searching for answers before she takes a nervous gulp and nods her head.
"Okay. I'll listen."
"Earlier this year, Master Makarov came to me and Elfman with some information." Mirajane begins with a voice shaking with nerves. "He said that Mystogan had found out about an incredibly dangerous member of Grimoire Heart, one of the three most powerful dark guilds in Earthland." She takes a deep breath. "That person's description almost perfectly matched the description that I had given him about Cyrus. His age, gender, hair color, eye color, involvement with a dark guild, and he even uses a sword: everything about him matches with what we know about Cyrus. Everything except for the fact that he is feared as a bloodthirsty murderer."
Lisanna's eyes had been widening further and further as Mirajane spoke, and at some point, tears had begun to fall from them. Her hand covered her mouth and held back her sobs, but eventually, she pulled herself together enough to speak.
"... But it's impossible that Cyrus would become a killer." She chokes out. "Even if the description matches, that doesn't mean it's him. It could just be someone who looks similar."
"After thinking about it for a bit, that's what I thought too," Mirajane admits. "But now we know it's him."
"How?" Lisanna asks. "How could you be so sure if you haven't seen him?"
"A month ago, in a raid against another dark guild, Natsu ran into him." She states, shocking Lisanna into silence. "Lucy and Gray saw him too, but Natsu spent the most time with him. Natsu said that he smelled like us, so he tried to bring Cyrus back to Fairy Tail."
"If that's true, why didn't Cyrus come back?"
"I don't know." Mirajane looks down with a tired expression. "Natsu said that he rejected being related to us and called himself White. He said that he pretended not to care about us, but that he looked really sad and guilty about something."
"If that's the case, we have to save him!" Lisanna firmly grabs her big sister's hand. "He's suffering, so it's our job as his family to be there for him!"
"Do you think I don't want to?!" Mira tugs her hand away and turns her back, still looking at the floor. "I want to save him more than anything. I want to drop everything and chase Grimoire Heart down to find him. He's my baby brother! Of course, I want to save him, but you know what? Natsu said something else about him. He said that he smelled like blood and death, that he had just cut off the leader of the Oracion Seis's head! He said that it smelled like Cyrus was carrying human body parts with him. You know that big scar across Natsu's chest. Happy said that was from Cyrus cutting him when they were talking. I can't save Cyrus, because he isn't Cyrus anymore!" The eldest child of the Strauss family cries out her pain.
"There's no way." Lisanna still refuses to accept it. "Cyrus would never hurt anyone. Natsu must have been wrong. He's our sweet little brother, mischievous and a pain in the butt, but always kind. I don't believe that he would ever become a murderer."
"Lisanna," Mirajane just sounds exhausted now, she's gone through everything that Lisanna is saying. She had rejected and rejected until the time came when she just had to accept the reality in front of her. "We can only imagine the kind of things that Cyrus had to go through. As his family, we failed to protect him. It hurts to admit, but it's the truth. Without anyone to protect him, Cyrus had to become what he was to survive. He became a monster because of our inability to protect him, but he is still a monster nonetheless. If you don't believe me, look up the cases that have been labeled as the work of the Balam Executioner. That's what he is called by the council."
"If-if it's our fault that he became like this, is it not our responsibility to save him?" Lisanna chokes out.
"Just look up what he has done. Some things can't be forgiven. I'm sorry, but he's too far gone. The best outcome for him that we can hope for now is life in prison."
Mirajane gets up and walks out of the library, her back still turned to her sobbing little sister. If Lisanna could see her face, she would see that her big sister was crying just as badly as she was.
....
Hades was content.
It was the tenth day after the meeting, the day before the war. He had been carefully watching White the entire time, just as he had been doing before the meeting. His monster was at a crucial point in his growth and Hades wanted to make sure that he grew in the right direction.
White had been forced to see how others perceived him during his mission to kill Brain. He had been called out and renounced by those who had only ever lived in the light. Ever since then, White had been at war within his head.
He was struggling back and forth between guilt and regret about the actions he had taken and justifying them as only doing what it takes. Trapped between believing in the words of the light and believing in what he has always known, White was at a stalemate. He spent every day sitting cross-legged in his room with his sword unsheathed and resting across his lap staring down at the eyes within it.
The boy-turned-monster was trapped between hating himself and hating the world.
Either way, his hatred continued to build up, even with no specific focus. This worked just perfectly for Hades. A monster ruled by hatred is much easier to control than a monster with its own agenda and values. All he needed to do was nurture that hatred and point it in the right direction.
In truth, Hades doesn't really have an answer for whether the boy's actions were right or wrong. As someone who came from the light, he can never truly understand the thoughts of someone raised in darkness. He knows that the boy has lost his grip on his sanity, but does that make him evil? He has a hobby of torture, but does that mean he is an irredeemable soul? Without that hobby, what would the boy have to enjoy in such a cruel world?
What Hades does know is that it isn't entirely White's fault that he has turned out this way. Magic is influenced by emotions, but it is a two-way stream. Emotions are also influenced by magic. When you use magic for acts of cruelty, your mind is steadily driven to have more cruel tendencies. This isn't something that happens right away, but over time the effects will make themselves known. White has been using his magic in the darkness for so long that it has thoroughly warped his mind.
Hades still remembers when he first saw signs of this change. After White's revenge was carried out on the Dancing Coffin mage, he wasn't in a good way. Once the adrenaline had worn off and he realized exactly what he had done, the boy was filled with regret. For the first time, he had killed for more than survival. He tortured and killed a man for his pleasure.
Hades saw this regret and recognized it as a weakness that needed to be overcome immediately. So, he assigned White as an executioner and sent him to kill as many people as possible, starting with those from the guild that the boy already hated. He had seen the boy's potential as a monster and needed White to normalize killing as soon as possible.
After that, it was incredible to see how quickly White changed. After only a few missions, he began to relish the chance to kill. He developed an alter ego of sorts, one that he desperately wanted to release. He jumped at every opportunity to slaughter with impunity and cherished every second of the act. Only when he let that side of him out, could he throw away his worries and guilt. Only then could he forget about the pain that this world had caused him.
Even still, White always hid that side of him away outside of missions. He wore a mask and acted like the rational and calm type, thinking that he had us all fooled. Now, the mask has begun to crack and his two sides are merging. This is the final step for him to become a true monster. Were it not for the boy's relationship with Meredy, Hades suspects that this would have happened long ago, but it matters not. He must embrace and accept himself for what he is: a vicious beast that can only obtain pleasure by taking it away from others.
That is what Hades wants, and that is what is happening to his pet monster now.
Hades watch through a lacrima he connected to one of his demons over a month ago to monitor White. The boy undoubtedly is aware of this, but it matters not. White doesn't care about the demon and Hades wouldn't care if he did. Hades looks on as White finally manages to get his mask back on for the war tomorrow, the boy's justification of his actions winning out over guilt, but he isn't worried. The mask has already cracked. It won't last this time. One final push is all that it will take to complete him.
Hades knows that White has something planned for tomorrow, though he doesn't know what. He still sends White ahead, not only because he wants to give the boy the chance to prove his loyalty, but also because whatever he is planning cannot amount to anything. He assumes that White will try to betray him and join with Fairy Tail, but he still isn't worried. The light will renounce him as a monster and he will finally become one. Hades knows that Makarov will not accept the boy. He knows of the hatred that Makarov holds for White after the incident with his son.
The light will reject the boy once again and he will see that he cannot live anywhere but in the darkness. Even if White still decides to attack Hades on his own, Hades will simply defeat him and put his leash back on. If White's revolt results in the deaths of some of the Kin, so be it. Hades can always raise more children. Either way, he will be punished for revolting and his longing for freedom will be broken permanently.
He will know that he belongs to Hades.
...
It was time.
I watched from the shore as a single boat sailed off into the ocean. Onboard are 16 Fairy Tail mages and 1 Fairy Tail cat-thing. High above in the air, following the boat from the clouds were two more such creatures. The Fairy Tail S-class promotion exams were finally beginning, and the course of events to come will mark a turning point in my life.
If all goes well, I will be a free and independent mage tomorrow. I'll have to settle on a new identity to avoid the council and bounty hunters, but that means nothing in the face of freedom. Freedom! Just the word fills me with excitement. It's a concept that has been foreign to me since I was four years old, and even then I was still restricted by my age and family. No, this time I could achieve true freedom. I could get a fresh start in life. Heck, I could even join a light guild!
Ever since my encounter with Natsu Dragneel, I've been on edge, constantly having mood swings and doubting what I've done thus far. Natsu said as if I chose this life as if I could change my circumstances by simply wanting them to change. Those words had been echoing throughout my mind, looking down on me as someone unwilling to do better. He was looking down on me as someone lesser, someone beneath him.
However, I now realize they were the words of a naive child. He, who has never known hardship in his life, could never comprehend what it means to struggle. He has never been surrounded by pain and death, so he doesn't understand that your life is the most precious thing you have. He said that I wasn't trying to change, but recently I realized that by simply surviving, I am changing. As long as I am alive, I will have the opportunity to be different later, so until then I only need to do whatever it takes to stay alive. That is the conclusion I came to after weeks of angry introspection.
Anyway, enough of that. The boat is far enough away that they won't notice me, so it's time for me to make my move. This was the entire reason for getting rid of Azuma. I'm the only one who could replace his job in the raid, so I knew Hades would send me first, and then I could get to work. That old fox was spying on me the entire time that I was lost in my thoughts, so I couldn't take out my planning paper, but it was fine. I've looked over it now that I'm away, and I'm as prepared as I'll ever be. All that's left is to act.
A pair of gills form on the sides of my neck, and I slink into the water and under the waves. My hands and feet morph into flippers to increase my swimming power and I rocket after the boat. A see-through lid, like that of a frog, covers each of my eyes to allow for clear vision underwater. I maintain a cautious distance from the boat when I see mages beginning to jump overboard. I need to be careful that the water woman, Juvia Lockser, doesn't spot me.
I pace myself so that when I arrive at the shore, nobody else is to be seen. A faint trace of my target's scent lingers though, so I'll be able to track him down without any issues. I can hear battles going on around the island and I can feel fairly impressive mana signatures coming from a few spots, only one is truly intimidating though. I pick up my pace in tracking my target while still going unnoticed by anyone on the island. I need to reach him late enough that he is alone (So after the second exam starts), but before Yomazu and Kawazu arrive.
They also were sent here in advance, I'm not sure for what purpose though. They traveled separately from me, but from what I know about the pair, Kawazu will fly to Tenrou Island carrying Yomazu and they will drop down for their attack. It's how the two of them always work together. I don't want them messing anything up before I get my position situated.
Finally, the mages all begin to spread out around the island and my chance appears. Four mages whom I identify as Erza Scarlet, Juvia Lockser, Lisanna Strauss, and Mirajane Strauss all head for the same spot and set up camp. Freed Justine, Bickslow, and the troublesome one, Gildarts Clive, all head for the shore and prepare to go back to the mainland. The rest scatter about the depths of the forest, and my target advances alone to its center.
When I catch up to him, he is sitting in front of a gravestone, drinking and talking to himself. I walk out of the trees and he immediately shows hostility. This is the holy land of Fairy Tail, and he certainly understands what it means for someone not bearing its mark to trespass here. Magic power is already swelling up within him and I can faintly make out the image of a massive titan behind the short old man. My hand is on my sword, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
"Hello, Makarov Dreyar. My name is White, and I've been dying to meet you."