The underground bunker was a sanctuary of steel and steam, vibrating with the latent energy of a rebellion on the brink of war. The air was thick with the scent of ozone and machine oil, a stark contrast to the wood-and-ale smell of the guild hall back home. But as the scattered members of Earthland Fairy Tail reunited, the spirit of the guild began to fill the cold metal room.
Once every member of Fairy Tail was inside, the atmosphere shifted from desperation to determination. Gray Fullbuster and Erza Scarlet, having been rescued from the crystal storage unit by Natsu's accidental explosion, stood by the weapons workbench. They looked weary, their clothes torn from the skirmish with the Royal Army, but their eyes were sharp.
"It feels... empty," Gray muttered, clenching and unclenching his fist. "Fighting without ice... it's like fighting with one arm tied behind your back."
"We can fix that," Edolas Blake said, walking over. He held out two small glass vials containing the glowing red X-Balls. "Swallow these. It'll simulate an Ethernano atmosphere inside your body."
Gray took the pill without hesitation. He threw it back.
CRACK.
Instantly, the temperature around him dropped. Frost creeped across the metal floorboards. He took a deep breath, and a familiar, comforting chill radiated from his skin.
"Oh, yeah," Gray grinned, slamming a fist into his palm. "Ice-Make: Shield."
A perfect, intricate wall of ice materialized in front of him. "I'm back."
Erza took hers with equal speed.
"Requip."
A flash of golden light illuminated the dim bunker. The rags she had been wearing vanished, replaced instantly by her standard Heart Kreuz Armor. She drew a sword, testing its weight, the metal singing through the air.
"My magic has returned," Erza stated, her voice regaining its commanding authority. "Now, we can fight properly."
With the heavy hitters re-armed, the group gathered around the central tactical table. Edolas Blake, the master of this world's resistance, stood at the head. He looked tired, grease smudges under his eyes, but his mind was clearly running at a mile a minute.
He tapped a communication lacrima on the table. "I sent out a Code Red broadcast on the encrypted frequency. Every resistance cell, every scattered mage, every driver... they're all mobilizing. They know the stakes. And they will be here by tomorrow night."
"Tomorrow night?" Natsu asked, punching his palm. "That cuts it close."
"It's the best we can do," Edolas Blake said. "They're coming from the Badlands, the Sycca Canyons, and the Mining Districts. We need to hold the line until the cavalry arrives."
Hearing that, everyone nods. The prospect of backup—an entire army of magi-tech warriors—bolstered their morale.
"Now," Earthland Blake said, stepping up beside his counterpart. "We need a plan of attack. We can't just knock on the front door. The Royal Capital is a fortress."
Edolas Blake pulled up a detailed, rotating holographic schematic of the Royal Capital.
"The target is twofold," Edolas Blake explained, pointing to two distinct locations. "First, the Control Tower in the upper palace. That's where King Faust commands the Chain Cannons. Second, the Dragon Cannon, located in the lower plaza. That's the weapon that will fire the Lacrima at Extalia."
"We need to hit both," Earthland Blake analyzed. "Simultaneously."
"Exactly," Edolas Blake agreed. "We need a distraction. A massive, loud, chaotic distraction to draw the Royal Guard and the Magic War Division Captains away from the Control Tower."
He looked at the Earthland mages.
"That's you guys."
"Erza vs. Erza," Earthland Blake said, looking at the Titania. "Knightwalker leads the aerial defense. She's the biggest threat to our mobility. You're the only one who can match her."
Erza Scarlet nodded grimly. "I will handle her. I've been wanting to see what this 'Knightwalker' is made of."
"Gajeel vs. Panther Lily," Edolas Blake continued. "Lily is the Captain of the 1st Division. He's strong, smart, and carries a Buster Sword that can cut through a tank. Gajeel, your iron defense is the best counter."
"Gihi," Gajeel grinned, sharpening his iron claws. "A giant cat with a sword? Sounds like fun. Maybe I'll make him my pet after I beat him.
"The 3rd and 4th Divisions are led by Hughes and Sugarboy," Edolas Blake listed. "Hughes uses Command Magic to control the environment of the castle's amusement park district. Sugarboy uses Softening Magic to destabilize the ground. Natsu, your destructive power is needed to break their zones."
"I'm all fired up!" Natsu yelled, smoke rising from his nostrils.
"And us?" Edolas Mirajane asked, cracking her knuckles.
"You, Edolas Cana, and the Lucys provide support and crowd control," Edolas Blake ordered. "Keep the foot soldiers off the Dragon Slayers."
"They will cause the distraction."
"Make noise," Earthland Blake emphasized. "Break things. Be Fairy Tail. The more chaos you cause in the courtyard and the amusement park, the fewer guards will be watching the inner sanctum."
"We are the strike team," Earthland Blake said. "Mystogan knows the layout of the palace better than anyone. He's the Prince. He can bypass the magical locks."
"I will guide you to the central conduit," Mystogan agreed from the shadows of the room. "Once we are there, I must separate to begin the Anima Reversal ritual. You must hold the Control Room."
"Cana and I will guard Mystogan while he works," Earthland Blake said. "And my counterpart..."
"I'll hack the cannon," Edolas Blake finished, patting his wrench. "If we can't stop the launch physically, I'll scramble the targeting data so they miss the island."
The meeting dispersed. The adrenaline faded, replaced by the bone-deep exhaustion of inter-dimensional travel and constant skirmishes.
The Earthland mages found corners of the bunker to sleep. Wendy curled up with Carla near the heater. Gray and Natsu, too tired to argue, slept on opposite ends of a long bench. Erza sat polishing her sword, her eyes closed in meditation.
Blake and Cana found a quiet spot near the vehicle bay. They sat on the floor, leaning against the massive tire of the Titan-Rover.
"Tomorrow," Cana whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder. "We save the guild."
"We save everyone," Blake corrected, wrapping his coat around her. "Get some sleep, Cana. You're going to need your cards sharp."
Then next day, they start making preparations for the night.
The bunker was a flurry of activity. Edolas Blake was tuning the engines of the assault vehicles. Edolas Cana and Mirajane were loading ammo clips.
Earthland Blake sat in meditation, honing his Haki, extending his senses as far as he could through the thick earth above them.
Lucy and Wendy checked their supplies. Natsu and Gajeel spent the day eating—consuming vast quantities of coal and scrap metal provided by the mechanics to fuel their Dragon Slayer magic for the coming battle.
As the sun of Edolas began to dip below the horizon, casting the world in a deep, bruising purple, the team gathered at the airlock.
"This is it," Edolas Blake said, pulling his goggles down over his eyes. "Lock and load."
Once the moon rises, they all leave the underground guild hall and start their plan.
They moved out in the stealth jeeps, driving dark, engines muffled by sound-dampening runes. They drove toward the Royal Capital, which glowed like a beacon of false hope in the distance. The giant Lacrima crystal hung suspended above it, a silent, frozen monument to their lost home.
They parked the vehicles in the sewers beneath the city, the same route Earthland Blake had scouted earlier. They crept up the maintenance shafts, emerging into the cool night air of the lower districts.
"Positions," Earthland Blake whispered.
The distraction team—Natsu, Gray, Erza, Gajeel, and the others—moved toward the main plaza gates.
The strike team—The Blakes, Cana, and Mystogan—scaled the walls toward the upper spires.
Everything was quiet. Too quiet.
But what they didn't know was King Faust was growing nervous.
High above in the Royal Palace, in the throne room that overlooked the entire city, King Faust paced back and forth. He was an elderly man, his face lined with paranoia and madness. He held a staff topped with a glowing Dragon Lacrima.
"Why is it so silent?" Faust muttered, his eyes darting around the empty hall. "Where are they? The Earthlanders. The Resistance."
"Sire," a general bowed nervously. "The patrols report nothing. Perhaps they have fled?"
"Fled?" Faust scoffed. "No. They are waiting. They are plotting."
He looked out the window at the massive Lacrima crystal hanging over his city. It was beautiful. It was power. It was his legacy.
As he thought things were going too smoothly for him, a cold dread gripped his heart. The silence wasn't peace; it was the intake of breath before a scream.
If he waited until the scheduled launch time tomorrow, something would go wrong. He could feel it. The variables were shifting.
"I will not wait," Faust decided, his grip tightening on his staff.
"But Sire!" the general protested. "The alignment isn't perfect! The Chain Cannons haven't fully charged! If we fire now, the recoil could damage the city!"
"Better a damaged city than a powerless one!" Faust roared. "Do it! Initiate the launch sequence! NOW!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Down in the city, the strike team was just reaching the parapet of the Control Tower.
"We're in position," Earthland Blake whispered to Mystogan. "Wait for Natsu's signal."
Suddenly, the ground lurched.
A deep, groaning mechanical sound echoed across the entire floating island. It sounded like the earth itself was screaming.
"What was that?" Cana asked, grabbing the railing.
From the central plaza, massive magical sirens began to wail. Not the alert sirens of a trespasser, but the rhythmic, terrifying pulse of a launch countdown.
WHOOOP. WHOOOP. WHOOOP.
"The Chain Cannons!" Edolas Blake yelled, looking up.
The massive chains holding the Lacrima began to rattle. The gears the size of houses began to turn.
"They're retracting!" Mystogan gasped. "He's loading the cannon!"
They were too late for stealth.
"He moved the timeline!" Earthland Blake realized, his eyes widening. "He's firing now!"
In the plaza below, Natsu and the others looked up in horror. The giant crystal, containing the souls of Magnolia, began to move. It was being pulled backward, loaded into a magical railgun assembly aimed directly at the floating island of Extalia high above.
"The target is locked!" A magically amplified voice boomed from the palace. "Code ETD Initiated! Firing in T-minus 300 seconds!"
"Five minutes!" Edolas Blake screamed. "We have five minutes before he shoots our friends at an island!"
"Forget the plan!" Earthland Blake roared, drawing Tensa Zangetsu. His aura exploded, no longer hiding his presence. "We go loud! NOW!"
The stealth mission was over. The race against the apocalypse had begun.