Chapter 3: The Weakening Resistance

"This will be our final stand..." Erza slowly opened her eyes as a large sword materialized in her hands. The thick blade was doused in a glowing sapphire liquid. "The Teuflisch Schlachter's mystical acid will eat through anything, so be careful." After warning her comrades about the dangers of her weapon, she began to charge forward. However, before she could even slice down one single demon, a voice stopped her.

"Wait, Erza!" The black-haired male wore a serious expression as he spoke. "If at least one of us doesn't make it back, this mission will be a complete failure. Someone needs to make it back and give Fairy Tail the information we collected."

"Gray... what are you saying?" She slowly turned her head to look at the young man at her right side.

"I'm saying that you're the logical choice. You have another life to protect now, so you should be the one who escapes to relay the information."

"Certainly you're not serious... I refuse to leave you both behind!"

"He's right for once, Erza..." The pink-haired male at her left side agreed. "You should get going and leave 'em to us!"

"No, Natsu." The other male wizard shook his head. "You need to leave with Erza and make sure she gets back safely. I'll hold them off here for as long as I can."

"Huh?"

"Go with her, and protect her with your life."

"There's no way I'm leavin' you to have all the fu..." Before Natsu could finish his sentence, he suddenly stopped. He realized how serious the other male truly was. "...all right. Let's go, Erza." He slowly turned around and beckoned for the woman to follow him.

"Natsu!" Erza wore an appalled expression as she glanced over at the fire mage.

"I don't like it either, but this might be Fairy Tail's only chance to stop the Igyoukai once and for all." The pink-haired male continued, attempting to convince his female comrade. "They need the information we have!"

"..."

"We can't be stopped here, or it'll ruin everything we've been fighting for all this time. Do you really want all of our efforts to go to waste?" Natsu's tone held the same amount of seriousness as Gray's.

"...very well." Erza had finally been persuaded to flee, but she was clearly upset by the decision. Her sword vanished, and she briefly looked at the black-haired male once more. "Be careful, Gray." After uttering those last words, she turned around and began running in the opposite direction.

"Yeah, you'd better come back to us safe, ya icicle brain..." A faint grin formed on Natsu's lips.

"You know who you're talking to, right?" Gray smirked in response. "Ice make... SCYTHE!" A large scythe made from ice formed in his grasp, and he lunged at the army of malevolent creatures moments later.

Natsu finally took off after Erza, and his grin instantly faded.


Erza and Natsu spent nearly three hours pushing their way through the thick brush of the forest. Occasionally, they were intercepted by small groups of Igyoukai... but they managed to defeat the demons each time. By daybreak, they arrived at Mirajane's residence at last. Although they were covered in various cuts and bruises, they were otherwise unscathed.

Breathing heavily, Erza stepped up to the front door of Mirajane's cabin and knocked her fist against it a few times. After a brief moment of silence, the door finally creaked open. Mirajane slipped her head out, and her lips curved upward into a small smile upon seeing the two figures standing before her.

"Oh, you've returned!" An intense tone of relief was present in her voice.

Once she opened the door completely, a blond woman was revealed to be standing next to her.

"Natsu! Erza! I'm so glad you're okay!" Lucy's eyes were slightly glossy, making it appear as though she were almost crying.

Seconds later, yet another voice echoed from behind Mirajane and Lucy, followed by rapid footsteps.

"They're back?!" A certain blue-haired female pushed her way past the other two and stopped once she was standing on the doorstep. "Gray-sama, Juvia has been wai... eh? G-Gray-sama?"

Erza and Natsu didn't say anything... although their solemn expressions spoke more than a thousand words. Juvia dropped to her knees, and her eyes began to fill with warm tears. Lucy lowered her head, and Mirajane's expression dimmed as well.

"If you don't mind answering... what... happened exactly?" The white-haired woman inquired in a low voice.

"...we were ambushed by a large group of Igyoukai." Erza began, speaking in a somber tone. "Gray stayed behind in order to give us an opportunity to escape with the information we collected. It was truly a noble sacrifice..."

"N-no..." Juvia buried her face in her hands and began to sob hysterically.

"Well, it seems we've suffered two casualties today. Master Makarov returned from his mission in horrible condition as well. He appears to have been poisoned by an unknown substance, and I'm not certain if it has an antidote." Mirajane released a deep sigh and backed away from the door.

"N-nani?!" Natsu and Erza's eyes widened as they both reacted simultaneously.

"Don't worry about it for now. You both should come inside and rest... you look terrible. Lucy, bring them something to eat."

"O-okay." The blond woman nodded and shuffled into the kitchen.

After Erza, Natsu, and Mirajane were seated comfortably in the white-haired female's living room, they began their important conversation.

"Do you both want to rest first, or would you like to discuss your findings now?" The white-haired female asked, crossing her legs.

"I don't mind discussing the matter now." Erza replied, glancing over at Natsu briefly.

"Neither do I." The pink-haired male added, stretching in his seat.

"Very well. Proceed." Mirajane nodded slowly.

"Well, the enemy seems to be evolving." The red-haired woman continued. "They're becoming more intelligent. They hunt in large groups, and thus... it is virtually impossible to escape once you've been targeted. They'll work together to break down windows and barred doors... and they'll even dig underneath houses to reach their prey if they must. People are no longer safe inside their homes unless they're surrounded by a holy barrier. The Igyoukai's sense of smell also seems to be improving, and they can detect prey from longer distances."

"I see... this is quite a problem. Did you notice any weaknesses?"

"Only one. When they have a person in their sight, they will chase after that person until they've caught him or her... even if there are other people standing nearby."

"Ah, so they'll only go after the first person who comes into view."

"Yes, I find it quite strange."

"So do I, but we could use this to our advantage."

"I agree. I just hope their intelligence doesn't improve again soon..."

"Same here. Thank-you, Erza and Natsu... you've been very helpful, and you've both earned a good rest. Sleep for as long as you can." After uttering those words, Mirajane rose to her feet and departed from the room.

Moments later, Lucy entered the room and handed a bowl of steaming soup to both of her exhausted friends.

"Thanks, Lucy." Natsu's faint grin returned for a moment, and he slowly began to devour his meal.

Erza, on the other hand, merely stared at her reflection on the scorching fluid's surface while swirling her spoon around in circles. Her mind was once again slipping into the realm of her deepest, darkest thoughts. After a few minutes, the fire mage glanced over at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't you hungry, Erza?" He asked, and the concern was evident in his tone.

"Hmm?" Erza blinked, instantly returning to reality. "Oh... not particularly."

"Well, you should still eat somethin'... you've got another life to take care of now, remember?"

"I suppose you're right." Erza carefully lifted a spoonful of the warm substance up to her lips and blew on it before slurping it down quietly.


After finishing her meal, the red-haired woman was offered the guest room in Mirajane's cabin. However, no matter how much she tossed and turned on the bed, she just couldn't sleep. She was tired, but she had far too many worrying thoughts on her mind. The master was ill, Gray was most likely dead, the Igyoukai were becoming more formidable, Jellal was still missing... and on top of that, she was carrying his child. Everything seemed to be taking a turn for the worst.

"...this... is no place to raise a child in..." Erza whispered under her breath as she laid on her side. "...perhaps if the world was more peaceful, it would be fine... or if you were still here to protect the infant alongside me, it wouldn't be so bad... but you're not..." She finally released a deep sigh from her lungs and closed her eyes. "I can't be pondering over this now. I need to rest. I need to be at my full strength, especially since we've lost two of our strongest fighters." After those words left her lips, she cleared her mind of all her thoughts and finally began to drift off to sleep.

Before she knew what was happening, Erza was surrounded by a thick, scarlet fog. In the distance, she could hear the echoes of a baby crying. Suddenly, she noticed a deformed shadow moving swiftly in the direction of the wails. After gasping in horror, she began to run as quickly as her legs would carry her. She knew that she had to reach the infant before that creature did. Unfortunately, no matter how much she quickened her pace, she couldn't seem to match its speed. Eventually, the shadow vanished, and the infant's crying ceased, causing her eyes to widen in horror. Even though she was expecting the worst, she just continued running frantically until she finally arrived at the baby's location... after what seemed like an eternity. Standing just a few feet before her was a young man with blue hair and a red tattoo down his right cheek. He was wearing a soft, warm smile and holding a tiny bundle in his arms. Erza's eyes immediately filled with warm tears at the sight of her lover, and she released a huge sigh of relief.

"Jellal..." Her voice was soft and affectionate as she uttered his name.

The man slowly opened his mouth as though he were about to respond. However, his entire body suddenly began to change... and in just a matter of seconds, he had completely morphed into an Igyoukai. The gruesome creature lifted the infant into its large, open jaws and devoured the helpless child right in front of its shocked and horrified mother.

Erza quickly shot up in bed, breathing heavily. Her entire body was covered in a cold sweat, and she looked around the room briefly. Then, she placed a hand over her forehead and let out another deep sigh. Her dreams offered her no comfort... they merely served to amplify her worries.


After stepping out onto Mirajane's doorstep, Erza cracked her back. The sun was slowly sinking beyond the horizon once more, coloring the sky in beautiful shades of orange, pink, and purple. She had slept for most of the day, and she felt mostly rejuvenated... but she was also slightly sore and nauseous. When she turned her head to the left, she blinked in surprise. Juvia was still sitting outside with her chin resting on her knees. Her eyes were red from sobbing, and her gaze was fixed on the ground.

Knowing how painful it was to lose a loved one, Erza parted her lips in an attempt to comfort the blue-haired woman.

"Juvia, you..." Before she could finish her sentence, one of the bushes near the house began to rustle. Erza's muscles tensed up again, and she started to concentrate. "Get inside... some of the Igyoukai may have trailed us here. This place is protected by a holy barrier, but you still shouldn't take any chances." Another sword started to materialize in her hands as she spoke.

Juvia didn't move a single muscle... she didn't even seem to hear Erza's words of warning.

"JUVIA!" The red-haired female tried desperately to draw her comrade's attention... to no avail.

A few moments later, a figure stepped out from the bushes, and Erza prepared herself to attack. However, she instantly lowered her weapon when she recognized the "creature." In fact, it wasn't a creature at all... it was a shirtless, black-haired male. He was slumped over, and his body was covered in cuts, bruises, and dirt. He held a hand over his right side as he limped toward the residency. A crimson liquid was seeping out from in between his fingers.

"Gray?!" Erza's eyes widened at the sight.

After that name was uttered, Juvia was immediately pulled out of her depressed state. Leaping to her feet again, she glanced over at her injured crush and placed both hands over her mouth.

"Gray-sama!"

The ice mage focused both of his glazed-over eyes on Erza's figure, and a relieved expression appeared on his face.

"Th-thank god... you m-made it safely..." After those words left his lips, he collapsed onto the ground. As he laid motionless on his stomach, Juvia bent down beside him and started to shake him gently.

"Gray-sama! Gray-sama, stay with Juvia!"

Erza clenched her teeth, and her weapon vanished as she rushed inside to find Mirajane for assistance.