[X784, Edolas, Royal City]
— Dannis Martell —
Dannis flew over the Royal City as it descended into chaos beneath him.
From above, the capital looked like a living anthill that had been kicked apart. Smoke rose from shattered towers, alarms rang endlessly through the streets, and flashes of magic lit up the city from every direction. Entire districts had become battlefields.
On one side of the city, black banners of the Black Band Rebellion surged through the broken western wall while lightning rained from the heavens like divine punishment. On another, Edolas soldiers desperately tried to reinforce collapsing defenses as panicked civilians fled through the streets.
And through it all, Dannis' sharp eyes remained fixed on the palace at the center.
The true target.
Both he and Laxus understood it. There was no point wasting time grinding through endless soldiers when the root of the problem sat comfortably upon a throne.
King Faust.
Bring him down, and the kingdom collapses with him.
Unfortunately, the inner walls of the city were still heavily fortified. Hundreds of soldiers manned the battlements while massive lacrima cannons pivoted toward the sky.
The moment Dannis entered range, "FIRE!"
The night exploded into light.
Dozens upon dozens of magical blasts screamed toward him, illuminating the dark sky in blues, reds, and golds. The turrets thundered continuously, the recoil shaking the walls beneath them.
Dannis didn't even bother dodging.
A black sphere opened in front of him.
Space warped.
Every incoming blast bent unnaturally before being swallowed whole into the miniature void. Explosions vanished into silence, consumed utterly by darkness.
The soldiers atop the walls froze in horror.
"What the hell is that?!"
Dannis beat his wings once, slowing midair. His sword slid free with a metallic hiss. Black energy crawled along the blade like living smoke.
Then he swung.
A colossal crescent of darkness erupted outward.
It stretched so wide it eclipsed the wall itself, roaring through the sky like a tidal wave.
The battlements split apart instantly.
Turrets exploded into molten debris while entire sections of the wall cracked and crumbled beneath the force. Soldiers were hurled screaming from the ramparts, some blown away by the sheer shockwave while others were simply erased by the slash itself.
The city shook.
Dannis didn't even look back.
Further ahead, combat erupted within the palace courtyard itself.
Lightning exploded across the marble grounds as Laxus Dreyar tore through platoons of Royal Guards. A bolt from the heavens crashed down onto the courtyard, vaporizing an entire formation and leaving scorched stone behind.
Dannis smirked faintly.
Subtle as always.
As he descended toward the palace entrance, Laxus drove his fist into the massive grand doors.
BOOM!
The enormous gates ripped from their hinges and flew inward, crushing soldiers unfortunate enough to stand behind them.
Dannis landed beside him moments later.
Laxus glanced sideways. "You're late."
"Yeah, well," Dannis replied dryly as he folded his wings behind him, "not all of us get to turn into lightning."
"Hah."
Together, they stepped into the palace.
The interior was absurdly extravagant.
The entrance hall alone dwarfed Fairy Tail's guildhall several times over. Massive marble pillars streaked with gold reached toward distant upper floors while giant crystal chandeliers illuminated the chamber in soft blue light. Ancient statues lined the walls—strange beasts and armored kings that Dannis didn't recognize.
Everything about the palace screamed excess.
The kingdom starved entire regions for magic while their king built himself a monument.
Outside, explosions continued to rumble. Suddenly, beams of pale light streaked across the sky beyond the windows, transforming entire groups of Exceed soldiers into lacrima mid-flight.
Laxus frowned. "The hell's going on out there?"
But before either could move, another voice spoke up.
"What's going on out there?! Is there a battle?! I thought the Exceeds were supposed to be angels or gods to humans! Is there a rebellion?!"
Dannis blinked.
"Is that Lucy?" Laxus said flatly.
A second later, the blonde mage came rushing down the hallway, carried through the air by Happy while Carla flew beside them. Behind them thundered over two dozen Royal Army soldiers.
Dannis' eyes sharpened instantly.
"They're being chased."
Both S-Class mages vanished.
The captain of the soldiers barely had time to register movement before Dannis and Laxus appeared directly in the middle of the hallway.
"What the—?!"
"Laxus! Dannis!" Lucy shouted, relief flooding her face.
"It's you two!" Carla exclaimed.
Laxus cracked his neck. "What exactly do you idiots think you're doing to Fairy Tail members?"
Lightning erupted from his body.
For a brief instant, the hallway became yellow-white.
Then the first twelve soldiers collapsed simultaneously, twitching violently as smoke rose from their armor.
The remaining guards panicked—but Dannis had already moved.
He walked past them.
That was all.
A quiet click echoed as he sheathed his sword.
Blood sprayed.
All twelve soldiers froze before deep slashes opened across their armor and chests simultaneously. One by one, they collapsed.
Silence followed.
Lucy stared. Happy's jaw hung open.
"Thank goodness you guys are here!" Lucy exclaimed. "Natsu and Wendy are in trouble!"
"What kind of trouble?" Laxus asked.
A scream interrupted him. A young girl's scream.
Dannis froze instantly.
Wendy.
"Wendy!" Carla cried, tears immediately forming in her eyes. She turned desperately toward Dannis. "Please! Help her!"
Dannis rested a hand atop Carla's head gently.
"You don't need to beg," he said quietly. "Fairy Tail doesn't abandon its own."
A cold fury stirred within him.
The temperature in the hallway seemed to drop. Shadows stretched unnaturally beneath his feet.
Beside him, lightning crackled violently around Laxus. "This kingdom made the mistake of becoming Fairy Tail's enemy," he growled. "Time they learned what that means."
Dannis smiled.
It was not a pleasant smile.
Even Lucy flinched slightly at the sight of it.
"You three head into the city," Dannis ordered. "Find the giant lacrima in the center. That's where our guild is."
"G-Got it!" Lucy nodded rapidly.
Without another word, Dannis and Laxus burst deeper into the palace.
Any soldiers unfortunate enough to encounter them lasted seconds at most. Lightning and darkness tore through corridors alike as they advanced.
Eventually, they passed through a massive archway and both stopped.
Dannis stared ahead blankly.
"…Is this a carnival?"
An enormous amusement park stretched before them inside the palace itself. Roller coasters twisted through artificial mountains while brightly lit rides spun endlessly. There were food stalls, circus tents, haunted houses—an entire absurd carnival somehow built within the castle.
Laxus blinked slowly. "I knew Faust was a wasteful bastard… but this is ridiculous."
"You're telling me."
Suddenly, a gigantic wooden viking ship swung directly toward them.
Dannis casually swung his blade.
The ride split cleanly in half.
The two halves crashed apart behind them.
"Oho," a voice mused. "Capable mages indeed. Looks like we've got work to do, Sugarboy."
"Hmm?" another replied lazily. "We just kill them, Hughes. Doesn't seem difficult."
Two figures stepped forward wearing Royal Army armor emblazoned with Edolas' crest. One carried a rapier while the other held an ornate wand.
"Who the fuck are these guys?" Laxus asked.
"Royal guards, probably," Dannis answered. "I'll handle them. I can sense Natsu and Wendy further inside. You'll find them quicker with your nose. Go."
Laxus didn't hesitate. "Got it. Don't take too long."
His body exploded into lightning and vanished down the corridor.
The man called Hughes scoffed. "Foolish. Sending away your ally?"
"A two-on-one battle?" Sugarboy grinned. "How confident."
Dannis sighed tiredly.
"My my," Sugarboy continued. "Aren't you Dannis Martell? Though not our version. Fascinating."
Darkness suddenly flooded the room.
Dannis opened his eyes fully.
An oppressive aura crashed outward so violently that the carnival lights flickered. The floor cracked beneath his feet.
Then he vanished.
"You two talk too much."
Sugarboy's eyes widened.
Dannis appeared directly in front of him, sword already thrusting forward.
The blade pierced straight through Sugarboy's chest.
Blood exploded outward.
Before Hughes could even react, Dannis twisted.
A black slash tore through the air and severed Hughes cleanly across the torso.
The man's expression froze in disbelief before his body split apart.
Sugarboy coughed blood violently, staring downward at the sword through his chest. "H-How…"
Dannis yanked the blade free.
The man collapsed instantly.
Silence returned to the ruined carnival.
Dannis flicked the blood from his sword before continuing deeper into the palace.
…
AN: A short chapter but an important one. Dannis and Laxus lead the charge as the Battle for the Capital kicks into high gear. This is supposed to be a setup chapter for the next few, since some things are finally being prepared.
This fic will one again be periodically updated along with the Sea Wolf, so look out for that.
I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, cheers guys!