Fairy Tail: The Dark Swordsman

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[Fairy Tail Guild Hall]

— Dannis Martell —

He rushed forward, reaching the large building in record time. He had received the call to his lacrima from Master Makarov just days ago, and he's never felt so angry and worried in his life.

It was late afternoon when they arrived. They ignored the broken state of the guild building doors and ran inside.

They had just returned from their mission in the abandoned castle, completing an S-Class mission. What was supposed to be a day of celebration was instead greeted with a scene that screamed of chaos.

The once-lively guild hall was littered with debris. Overturned tables and broken chairs. One side of the wall was broken, with cracks that lined the stone and wooden frames. While an attempt to clean it was made, it seemed that other things took priority.

The vibrant energy of Fairy Tail seemed dulled. The normally boisterous members milled about quietly, talking in hushed whispers. Their presence immediately caught the eye of the few guild members still trying to clean up the mess left behind.

"What happened here?" Dannis asked no one in particular.

Mystogan said nothing, but a subtle glance at the faces of his guildmates told him the weight of the situation. Neither of them had expected this. They both approached the bar, where Mirajane sat with a bandage wrapped around her arm, staring listlessly into a mug of tea.

She looked up as they drew closer, her eyes clear with relief.

"You're back," she said softly. There was a small smile on her face, but there was no hiding the fatigue behind her eyes.

Before Dannis could ask any more questions, Mirajane nodded toward the back of the guild where a set of stairs led to a small medical area. "Master Makarov went to the council. But you should see Master Mavis first, Dannis. We'll talk later, okay?"

There was an odd tremble in her voice. Concern immediately filled Dannis as he and Mystogan shared a glance before heading in the direction she pointed. The moment they stepped into the room, they were met with the scent of antiseptic herbs and medical products, no doubt from Porlyusica working tirelessly to heal the other members.

When they finally reached the room, the sight that awaited them nearly stopped Dannis in his tracks.

"Master Mavis..." Dannis whispered, his breath catching.

The First Master of Fairy Tail lay sprawled on a cot, her form flickering in and out like a faulty projection. There were bruises and cuts that marred her skin. Even in her incorporeal state, it was clear she was in immense pain. Her body trembled with every shallow breath she took.

Beside her stood Porlyusica, clearly frustrated as her medication only works on the physical.

"Nothing is working," Porlyusica muttered under her breath, frustration clear in her tone. "Her body can't hold any of this. These injuries... they're not physical. How did that man even hurt a spiritual body? It doesn't make sense."

Mystogan remained silent but stood close by, his brow furrowed beneath his mask as he watched the scene unfold. Dannis, however, felt a knot form in his stomach. 

His hands clenched into fists as he knelt by Mavis' side. "What's wrong with her?" Seeing her reduced to this state was unbearable.

Porlyusica merely glanced at his presence before shaking her head. "I have no idea. I've dealt with every type of injury, but this... this is beyond my expertise. It's like her form is fading. If she loses her anchor to this world..."

Dannis furrowed his eyebrows. For a moment, memories of his own magic flooded his thoughts. Master Mavis was a soul, wasn't she? His curse involved the manipulation of souls. Could he do something?

"I have an idea," Dannis said quietly, though uncertainty lingered in his voice. "It's a long shot, and I've never done it before. But it could save her life."

Porlyusica raised a brow, but with little else to try, she stepped aside, allowing Dannis to move closer to Mavis. "I'll help monitor her condition. You do what you need to do."

Gently, Dannis placed his hands just above her flickering form, feeling the unstable energy that surrounded her. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he reached within himself, searching through the souls who decided to follow him.

These souls weren't dormant. They carried the memories, the strengths, and sometimes the very essence of the people they once belonged to. There was a special power tied to their existence.

A soft purple light began to glow from his palms as he carefully funneled energy from one of the souls into Mavis. The process was slow, methodical. Dannis' brow furrowed with concentration as he focused on channeling just the right amount—enough to heal but not overwhelm. 

He didn't know what would happen if he forced another soul onto Mavis. There was a chance it could completely destroy her form, perhaps even alter her in ways he couldn't imagine. This has to be delicate, careful.

Minutes passed, and slowly, the flickering of Mavis' form began to stabilize. The cuts on her body closed, the bruises faded, and her breathing became less labored. The light from Dannis' hands dimmed as he exhaled deeply, his own energy somewhat drained from the process.

Porlyusica observed the whole process, eyes widening in surprise. "Well I'll be. Well done, boy. But she doesn't seem to be fully healed. What did you do?"

"I sacrificed one of the souls I have and supplied it into her." Dannis replied. "It's the best I could do for now. The injuries are tied to her spirit, if I give too much, it'll just make everything worse instead of better."

Still, Mavis stirred slightly, her voice weak but audible. "Dannis…?" Her eyes fluttered open, though they remained half-lidded. 

Dannis forced a small smile, relief washing over him. "Hey master. It's me."

A small smile appeared on Mavis' face at the sound of his voice. "I'm glad. They didn't get you after all." Her voice muddled in the end before she fell unconscious once more.

As Porlyusica stepped in to assess Mavis again, Mystogan rested a hand on Dannis' shoulder. "You did well," he said softly.

Dannis stood and turned to leave, his expression darkening as he moved back toward the guild hall. There was someone else he needed to speak to.

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— Mirajane Strauss —

Back at the bar, Mirajane was cleaning up some remaining shattered glasses when she felt a familiar presence beside her. She looked up to find Dannis standing there.

"What happened, Mira?" he asked, his voice quiet but tense.

Mirajane hesitated, her eyes drifting to the floor before she spoke. "He said his name was Jacob Lessio... an assassin from the Alvarez Empire. He came here looking for you." Her voice cracked slightly as she continued. "He tortured the First Master, wanting to know where you were since you were outside the guild. He... he almost killed her."

Dannis' eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. "Because of me..."

Mirajane reached out, grabbing his hand. "Don't say that."

Dannis held her hand tightly. "They wanted me, Mira! The guild was hurt because of me! If I had been here..." His fists clenched again. "I swear, I'll make them pay. I'll—"

"No, you won't." Mirajane's voice was firm as she stepped in front of him, her hands on his shoulders. "You can't fight an entire empire by yourself, Dannis. That's just stupid."

Dannis met her gaze, his anger wavering as he saw the concern in her eyes. For a moment, the weight of the situation pressed down on him, and the burning anger switched to guilt. 

"You would've done the same for any of us," she continued, her voice softer now. "You would've fought to protect us, even if it meant putting yourself in danger. That's what we did for you. That's what family does, after all."

The tension in Dannis' shoulders eased slightly as he sighed, some of the anger giving way to weariness. "What if they come back? What if the next time they get here, they bring more than just one assassin?"

"Then we just need to be prepared." Mystogan added from behind him. "We were caught off guard, but things won't happen the same way next time. I'll start putting defensive runes around the guild for precautions, at the very least, we'll be a lot more prepared if they do something like this again." He nodded to both Dannis and Mira before walking towards the library.

Mirajane smiled faintly, her hand moving to cup Dannis' cheek. "See? Don't worry, none of us blames you for what happened. We protect each other, like we always have."

"That's right!" Natsu piped up from another corner of the guild. "Next time these guys show up, I'll kick their ass!"

"Aye sir!" Happy the cat, exclaimed in agreement.

Gray scoffed at his long time rival. "As if. You couldn't even stop yourself from getting captured, flame brain. What makes you think you can do it next time?"

Natsu slammed his forehead towards the Ice-mage. "Yeah? Well I didn't see you doing any better, ice breath!"

"You wanna fight, huh?!"

"Bring it on!"

Natsu and Gray threw a punch against each other, their brawl quickly escalating as others joined in. It didn't take long for the usual jovial mood to return as everyone felt the normality of Fairy Tail's everyday life.

Watching all of this, Dannis and Mira simply stood in a corner with smiles on their faces. Dannis finally nodded, his resolve hardening but in a different way. "You're right." He held Mira's hand. "Thank you, Mira."

As her smile widened slightly, he couldn't help the thought that entered his mind. 'She's beautiful.'

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[Fiore Council Chambers] 

– Makarov Dreyar –

Makarov sat at the center of the Fiore Council's chambers, his hands folded as he listened to the other council members debate the latest developments. The room was large, with high ceilings and intricate carvings lining the walls, but the atmosphere was tense.

"Alvarez's forces attempted to breach our borders once again," Gran Doma said, his voice tight with frustration. "But they were repelled by Etherion. We can't keep relying on that weapon forever."

Makarov's face remained impassive, though his mind raced. The news of Alvarez's broader attempts to invade Ishgar was troubling enough, but what weighed even more heavily on him was the attack on his own guild.

Finally, he spoke, his voice low but immediately catching the room's attention. "Etherion may have stopped their forces, but that doesn't change the fact that the Alvarez Empire has already made its move."

The other council members turned to him, Crawford Seam being the one to question his statement. "What are you talking about, Makarov?"

Makarov continued. "My guild, Fairy Tail, was attacked just days ago. An assassin from the Alvarez Empire infiltrated our hall, nearly killing several of our members. This was no random skirmish. They deliberately seeked us out and targeted us."

Yajima's eyes widened in horror, his old friend immediately asking with worry. "Is everyone alright, Makarov? Who was this assassin?"

"His name is Jacob Lessio and claimed to be one of the Emperor's Spriggans. Judging from his words, these Spriggans could be the elite of the Empire's forces. He even claimed that there were even stronger people than him, an August and Irene."

His words stunned the entire council as they all shared glances towards one another. Makaroc noticed this and immediately asked in a raised voice. "You people know something…"

Sensing his friend's anger, Yajima immediately placated. "August and Irene are famous individuals, Makarov. We had just passed an update towards the Hazard Registry claiming them both to be Calamity Level Threats. August, the Wizard King, was even the one we negotiated with when we threatened them with Etherion."

There was a murmur of concern among the council members, before Siegran leaned forward in his seat. "My question is why exactly did they decide to go after Fairy Tail? Was there an objective?"

Ultear piped up then. "Fairy Tail is considered to be one the most powerful guilds in Fiore, perhaps they wanted to hurt them before they could muster their full force?"

"But if they want to cripple Ishgar as a whole, then targeting the council or the upper ranks of the Rune Knights would do much bigger damage. If this assassin managed to slip past and even injure Makarov of all people, then we wouldn't stand a chance without the rest of the Saints."

Makarov let the discussion pass by without commenting. He had to give a sigh of relief when young Ultear answered the question for him. Truthfully, he didn't want to divulge much about the true reason Jacob went to Fairy Tail. Both Dannis' identity as the Eclipse-born and the existence of Fairy Heart are secrets that are better kept among Fairy Tail members only.

His eyes then swept across all the council members. Aside from Yajima, he didn't really trust any of them. He remembered his conversation with Draculos, about his suspicions regarding a spy in the council. He had discussed this with Gildarts in length, and they both decided to send their own spy into the council to try to weed them out.

That reminds him, he has to talk with Mest as soon as he can.

"We need to prepare," Gran doma concluded. "It is painfully obvious that war with Alvarez is inevitable. We managed to placate them well enough for now, but we can't rely on the Etherion forever. We need to start thinking of contingencies for each potential danger that the Empire possesses."

As the council continued on into the day, Makarov could only steel his heart for the years to come. He only hopes that his children could be prepared.

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AN: Plot is cooking lads. This should be the last chapter before we enter the next arc. Mira and Dannis' romance on the horizon.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter.