{NO ONE'S POV}
"S-Stay away from m-me!" The boy yelled. He tried desperately to maintain the distance between them.

Luka stalked him like a cat stalks a mouse, taking casual steps forward. It was almost a pity to watch the once-confident serial killer absolutely crumble before Luka. This wasn't shaping up to be a fair fight.

It was gonna be a one-sided massacre.

The young man swiped his arms across a shelf. This sent many glass jars flying at Luka, who easily dodged them all. The containers shattered on the floor. The orbs of light contained within each jar expanded into a glowing human form. Each orb was the soul of one of Cremator's targets.

Luka continued to dodge all of the glass jars that the serial killer desperately lobbed, one after another. Molten glass bubbled around Luka's feet, literally melting due to the heat emanating from his body.

"Redeem yourselves and d-d-defend me!" The serial killer blubbered, cowering in a corner.

The army of ghosts turned to face Luka, who glared at them. "Begone."

Every single soul swiftly abandoned their summoner. They feared Luka more than they feared him. The serial killer crawled desperately away from Luka, intentionally bumping into furniture to knock as many containers to the floor as possible.

"K-Kill him!" The serial killer wailed.

"Beat it!" Luka snarled at the ghosts, and the temperature of the room shot up. In the end, not a single soul remained.

The serial killer was alone and he was terrified. He felt like a little kid again: trapped in a cramped dark closet, trying not to make a noise while he listened to his father get brutally murdered.

Finally, all was quiet. He was safe! But then, the closet door creaked open. He stared up the one who had caught him with dread.

The image of that terrifying Oni mask—looming over him—was forever burned into the boy's mind.

The assassin let him go, but the boy was so sure that Scythes would come for him. The hunt was like a game to them; a game of tag, of cat and mouse. The boy spent his entire life bouncing between homes. He never settled down, afraid that someday Cremator would come to finish the job.

When the Scythes were caught, he reveled in their demise. At last, he was free from their shadow!

But one survived. And it was the very Oni that murdered his father. The one that spared him in a sick, twisted game of tag. How could fate be so cruel? How could the people of Magnolia not see the monster beneath the façade known as Luka?

Cremator had killed the boy's father. He deserved punishment. The boy would reveal his true colors so the world would see him for what he truly was.

The one who stood before the boy now was exactly what he had nightmares about as a young child. This was Cremator, with flames like horns, flames like wings, and flames like armor; he was a monster, an Oni, a demon of death come to kill everyone.

Cremator reached out. The serial killer squeezed his eyes shut. This was the end.

Meanwhile, the Rune Knights, Natsu, Lucy, Ai, and Sylvie were forced to watch the video feed from Kardia Cathedral. They didn't know where the serial killer and Luka were. There was no way they could find the location in time either.

Captain Ordo yelled orders at Luka through the lacrima, but it was futile.

"Cremator, don't hurt the boy! He's a serial killer and tried to frame you, but the law will deal with him appropriately! Don't be a vigilante! I'll arrest you for assault and battery! I'll—mmmrgh!"

His mouth was promptly frozen shut.

Captain Ordo turned on Sylvie, stomping his feet and gesturing frantically at the projection. He pointed at his mouth, then at her, and glared.

"Cremator is dead. That's Luka Dragneel, and he's a proud member of Fairy Tail. Just watch." She replied, completely unabashed.

Captain Ordo continued to throw a tantrum. He made loud noises of complaint until Ai walked over and quietly threatened to shove an ice spike where the sun don't shine. That shut the Rune Knight up.

"How can you be so sure he'll hold back?" Another knight questioned. The rest of the platoon was more amenable to reason than their captain.

Sylvie smiled widely. "Because I trust Luka."

They all watched as Luka knelt down next to the serial killer, who squeezed his eyes shut in terror. Luka reached out with a flaming hand... and flicked the serial killer firmly on the forehead.

Mouths dropped open. The four Fairy Tail wizards grinned at each other like they were in on the secret. They believed in Luka and it paid off.

The serial killer blinked. He looked around at the fizzling flames, the cooling glass, and the tired human in front of him. Then he looked down at his own hands and began to tremble.

"H-How much longer will you torment me in this game of cat and mouse!?! How much longer d-do I have to suffer before you finally decide to finish the job?!" The boy screamed, utterly despondent.

"Enough is enough." Luka said wearily. "I'm not going to kill you. I don't want anymore needless suffering and violence. Please."

"This is a trick! T-To get me to lower my guard!" The serial killer insisted. "You're an assassin!"

Luka grabbed the serial killer's hand and pulled him to his feet before the boy could process it. "I know at least two people in this world who think my life is worth something. I'm not gonna throw it away for petty revenge. Especially not after everything Fairy Tail did to prove my innocence."

"I don't believe you!" The serial killer pushed Luka back and activated his magic.

Only one ghost appeared. Frostburn faced her former mentee. Luka took a defensive stance, but Frostburn did something unexpected; she betrayed her summoner. Instead of attacking Luka, a tendril of icy fire wrapped around the serial killer's neck. It latched in place with thorns and squeezed.

"Frostburn, stop." Luka tried to grab her wrist but failed, his hand phasing through her ghostly skin. "Assassins don't get to choose who lives and who dies. They follow orders."

Frostburn rolled her eyes. "I'm not an assassin anymore. I was replaced... by you."

"Stop this. I—I don't want to see another person die in front of me ever again."

Frostburn hesitated. Her cold flames flickered like a candle in the wind.

She glanced from Luka to the serial killer, then back to Luka. "He summoned me and manipulated my icy fire magic to kill those people. He made me frame you and fight against you. I hate him."

Frostburn clenched her fist. The fiery noose tightened around the serial killer's neck. He gagged, frothy white spit bubbling out of his mouth.

"No more needless death. You told me that." Luka finally whispered.

"No more..." Frostburn sighed and unclenched her fist. The serial killer fell to the ground and lay there, holding his neck while wheezing for air. She took off her mask, revealing her true face.

Amari Fudo smiled slightly at Luka as she faded. "You know, I'm glad you were my replacement."

Luka nodded in agreement. She was finally free.

"You spared my life again." The serial killer gasped. "I don't understand!"

Luka collapsed, laying spread eagle on the ground. He held up an exhausted victory V on his fingers for the lacrima video. "Thank Mavis, it's over."

Everyone at Kardia Cathedral cheered, while the serial killer hung his head in defeat.