Erwin just woke up after a long rest. He was back at the guild hall, where he planned to sleep a little more before having breakfast and continuing his day without incident. While he was doing that, Erza found herself in trouble with the Magic Council.
Erwin yawned widely, exhausted from yesterday's bout with a literal demon from the Book of Zeref. He was currently enjoying breakfast, which he made himself as Laxus and Mirajane, nay, the whole guild had gone to witness Natsu's rematch with Erza. Erwin opted to stay behind and recuperate. After that, he wished to hand Black Cobra to the Magic Council and study up on his Shamrock Swords before practicing Ballistae Barrage for most if not the rest of the day.
Imagine his surprise when guild members came home within minutes. Among the first to enter was -
"ELFMAN?!" Erwin shouted, shocked to see him there. "How did you get here?"
"Finished my mission, what else?" Elfman answered. "Real men don't leave unfinished business."
"How did you finish a week-long mission in just a few days?!"
"Again, real men don't delay. That week-long job was just a bunch of little things spaced out over a few days. I got it done, got paid, and got out. That's how real men do it."
"Okay, but I'm not quite sure that's how this works."
Laxus patted Erwin's head tenderly before coming over to the bar, sulking in the seat he took. The young boy came over to the Dragon Slayer curiously.
"What happened, Laxus," Scylding asked. Laxus sighed.
"Erza's been arrested," he explained to the boy. "Magic Council's charged her with eleven counts of property damage. Natsu and Mirajane are out there taking care of it."
Erwin wasn't surprised. That sort of thing was bound to happen eventually. Honestly, he was surprised that they didn't come for him first, or Natsu. Heavens, that Natsu was guilty, broke so many things that Erwin doubted that Natsu knew what was whole and what was broken in the first place. On more than one occasion at that.
"They'll pull through," Erwin promised his elder. "They always do."
"They do, don't they," Laxus smiled at the small boy. He gently patted Erwin's head before getting up and handling the bar for the day.
A comfortable silence passed over the guild hall as I read my Book of Runes. Sure, it was stiff and troubled, but comfortable. I had just finished reading up on the last rune in the 'A' section, A-Zephyr. It was a somewhat powerful Wind Rune made by some wizards from the sunken city of Atlantica. Those wizards, as it turned out, were incredibly well-versed with water magic and created far more powerful variants of Water Runes. I found an insanely powerful Tsunami Rune capable of sinking a large island, which I believe caused the sinking of Atlantica. Now onto the 'B' section, starting with Barrier Asgardia.
"Hullo," an unfamiliar voice said from behind me, and I reacted as I would if Bolt snuck up on me: I drew Trinket, the right hand Shamrock Sword, and pointed it at the source without igniting the blade. "What-ho!"
The man in the suit backed off quickly, reaching for his azure trident. I recognized it immediately as Tidal Usher, and sheathed my weapon. I would be no match for such a pristine and powerful weapon as that. The man had sea blue hair, ocean green eyes, an unshaven face full of stubble, and a wrinkled tan face that made him look like a seafarer.
"You should be more careful, sneaking up behind people like that," I chastised. "Had I activated my sword, I'd have cut you in half."
"Perhaps, young man," responded the man, relaxing as he came up to the bar on my right. "My apologies. The name's Atlas, Monsoon Atlas."
"Erwin, 's a pleasure to meet you," I returned to my seat.
"Pleasure's all mine," Atlas spoke. "Especially given your blades at such a young age."
"You noticed?" He nodded. "Hard to miss, huh? Two daggers, look like Shock Daggers but green in color."
"Indeed, indeed." I silently studied Barrier Asgardia while waiting for him to either get to the point or leave. "Might I suggest you learn of Dwarven Runes? Those are rather rare and quite the powerful runes."
"I'd prefer to at least recognize what each one looks like and what it can do, but thanks for the input. I'll check it out." He went silent for a moment or two.
"Do you know the story of the Dwarves?" I shrugged. "From tales told centuries ago, back even before we humans ever existed, Dwarven folk were a tall and mighty people. Proud, and rightfully so. It was said that they could hurl mountains with ease, carve valleys with simple tools, and pluck trees from the earth like you or I might do with a blade of grass."
"Aren't those like the Gods or something," I questioned, not once looking in his direction. He nodded.
"Aye, this is true," he continued. "But Dwarves are just as mighty, not because they had magic but because they created weapons to compensate for their inability to generate the power within themselves. From records found about Atlantica, the people of the island were trying to replicate this power for themselves. The closest they ever came ended with the doom of their people and loss of their island."
"Greed gets you nowhere," I analyzed. Atlas shook his head.
"They never got even a fraction of Dwarven power," Monsoon corrected. "And they were the closest anyone has ever come to replicating this sheer power."
My whole head turned in his direction. That much power, and they never even came close? Just how powerful were these guys? And why did they seek that power, anyways? They had the most advanced magic of all time, why go any further?
"The main problem, I've found, is that the Atlantic people never respected the power in their hands," Atlas explained. "They used their might recklessly, abusing their spells at every turn. When it came time to develop runes, the only powers they respected were those of the seas. Even then, they sought to claim this power as their own through sheer will."
"Those who respect no powers will be consumed by them," I sighed, closing the Book of Runes. "I take it the Dwarves learned this the hard way?"
"Not at all," Atlas answered. "In fact, their way of life revolved around giving and receiving. The weapons they forged only came when the Dragons threatened that delicate balance. The last Dwarf is said to have disappeared nearly 400 years ago, when Acnologia became a Dragon and went on a rampage. When the Dragons disappeared, and true magic was born."
I squinted at the guy, curious yet confused. I wasn't sure if this was just folklore or if any of what he said was true, but it was most certainly confusing. Why did the Dwarves believe the things they did? Did Acnologia kill them off, or did the Dragons end their reign? Why would a race that believed in balance create these supposedly powerful weapons if they could never use them? And why is he bringing this up to me, of all people?
"So how does it say they died," I asked, trying to get to the bottom of this.
"They fought with a certain sect of Dragons against their more tyrannical counterparts," Atlas answered. "After that, they believed that the humans they protected were the perfect balance that Nature was originally after and willingly let Acnologia end their lives."
Somehow, and for some reason, I doubted this logic. If they wanted to restore balance, really and truly, they would certainly have found a way to slay the Black Dragon before leaving for good. Yet here Atlas just told me that they just… let themselves get slaughtered? What, did they believe that Acnologia would just instantly decide that humanity was okay and leave forever? Well if they did, look at how well that plan went! That Dragon is still alive, definitely angry and hungry for human blood, and is currently labeled as a Century Quest. One which Gildarts took a few years ago.
"So why would they make such powerful weapons, leave such a legacy? Why would they leave open the opportunity for-for… for others to try to replicate them, to top them? Why wouldn't they destroy everything and keep that from happening?"
"Ruins of the capital, Asgardia, have not been explored yet, but I believe that they wanted someone, or something, to carry on their legacy. Teach future generations their findings in their stead." Well that doesn't sound ominous at all.
"Why bring any of this up to me, anyways? Why answer my questions like you're doing? I mean, I'm just a kid, not an actual wizard. I don't even have magic to call my own. Levy would probably be more interested in that kind of stuff, or know more about it. Why… why me?" Atlas smiled at me. I could've sworn I saw a yellow glint in his eye.
"Why, indeed," the strange man answered. I shivered as he got up from the bar, thoroughly creeped out. What did any of that have to do with me? Moreover, what was with that yellow eye thing?
Mirajane returned through the doors, as did Natsu and Happy. Gray yawned as he followed the trio. I turned back to my book, pondering these recent occurrences.
Barrier Asgardia, huh? Same name as the supposed Dwarven capital. Maybe they're related? I wonder how powerful it is.
At night, I wiped down the bar counters as Makarov drank one last pint of ale. He explained the events to me, stating that Erza was off the hook and would be heading off for something else.
"So how was your day, Erwin," Makarov asked. "You did spend the day here, right?"
"Yeah, I did," I answered. I believe that they wanted someone, or something, to carry on their legacy. Those words echoed in my mind for some reason. Why would he tell me about that if he knew that Atlantica fell trying to do just that? "Hey, do you know a man called Monsoon Atlas?"
"I do, and I think it would be wise if you never spoke to him," Makarov warned. I swallowed.
"Well, he came to me and - ," I started to explain.
"He WHAT?!" Makarov nearly fell out of his seat. "That rat, doing things without my say-so. Did he say anything? Do something?"
"He told me a story about Dwarves," I answered, concerned about the story he told. "He said some pretty disturbing things about them." Makarov hummed to himself, pondering his next words and actions.
"Don't take anything he says seriously," he recommended. "That man says some things that simply make no sense sometimes." He finished his pint.
"Thanks, Third Master," I called to him, finishing my job. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Erwin," Makarov returned.
I was barely able to think a few days later. So many runes, all of them doing ludicrous things. Heck, some had the same effects as others and looked indistinguishable. At least I was at Dara, an Atlantic rune for Earth Magic. Incredibly weak, too. Barely useful for a defense spell or Charm.
"Stole an S-Class quest, huh," Laxus asked his grandfather while the rest of the guild seemed shocked. I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. "What kind of moron would do that? And how do we know it wasn't you?"
Monsoon Atlas simply folded his fingers together and smiled kindly. I could plainly see that this smile was far more sinister than he let on, with his canines cutting slightly into his lower lip.
"I saw a blue flying cat sneak in, take the paper, and leave," Monsoon replied, catching everyone's attention. I could hear the lie through his teeth, and confirmed it when my Ring of Truth told me what he was actually thinking. They must believe that Happy stole it, else Makarov will obliterate me. I kept this in the back of my mind.
"Then explain why no one saw him," I demanded. He shrugged comfortably. Laxus glanced at me, knowing that I had the Truth Ring on.
"The tiny beast flew in through a window, of course," Atlas replied. Oh, Happy's gonna claw his eyes out. The cat never entered. I brought it to him. Strikes one through three.
"And where do you think he went," I pushed, trying to crack the nut. He never did.
"Why, I would love to show you," Atlas explained. "But I'm afraid it would be a tight squeeze." Through the front door. I'm not uncivilized, despite the crime. Of course he would do such a thing. Slimy muppet.
"Oh, I'm sure you could show me," I smiled viciously. "But you might have to leave your blade here."
"But what if we get ambushed," Atlas acted panicked, obviously trying to keep his blade. But I'm getting paid for this ambush. Aha! Just what I expected... wait, ambush?
"I have this covered," I drew Trinket and Shamrock, now with lacrima bands tied to the handles for extra Mana capacity. "In case you were wondering, I made these myself."
"How did you make those, anyways," Monsoon asked. The Truth band agreed with him, calling them toys instead of simply referring to them.
"On accident, actually," I answered. "I lost my mace and flail and panicked, drew my unenchanted daggers, and activated a couple of Rings on accident. Turns out, these were Crucible Steel, and pouring so much Mana into the blades even as a fortification made them develop Runes. There's an Emerald Shamrock on each, as well as a Lightweight on the reverse of what you see. The blades were both sharpened just before, so the sharpness is natural."
"Is that so," Atlas paled. I nodded. "Well, I suppose I can slip my trident through. It would be a much better defense than a small pair of daggers."
Trinket ignited, growing an emerald blade in under a second. It deactivated just as quickly, as I simply wanted a short show-and-tell.
This will not end well, I thought as Monsoon Atlas walked ahead of me. His trident, Tidal Usher, rested in his hands as he guided me along the beach to the harbor. My uneasy feeling grew too much, so I activated Strength, Shielding, Agility, and cast a Fortified Barrier armor around myself.
"Well, I certainly hope you feel better, boy," Atlas chastised me. I sent him a glare, holding back my Berserker form so as to catch him off guard. "Normally, I'd outright kill one of you, but I was paid to simply teach a lesson through a show of force."
"I figured you were lying," I claimed as I drew Trinket and Shamrock. "You gave Happy the quest, didn't you? Stole it in broad daylight, huh? Tell me the truth, Atlas."
"Oh, you want the truth, do you," Atlas turned, twirling his trident. "I tried sending one of you away on an archaeological job, tried targeting Romeo Conbolt. Hell, I tried talking that old man of a Master to go on a small mission of his own, but you brats did nothing. So I gave the blue rat a job he couldn't refuse and told him to take it or else. You - AAH! AT LEAST LET ME FINISH, BRAT!" I had sent him a Shockwave in my anger, eyes flaring red from my sheer fury. "Anyways, I have a job to do. Nothing personal, you see. I pray you'll forgive me when you wake up. If you ever do, swine." With that, Atlas unleashed the power within Tidal Usher and blasted a water cyclone my way. I was swift and small enough that I literally dove through his attack. I activated the Shamrock Swords and began to close the short distance between us.
"Shipwreck," Atlas called, summoning a tidal wave with a broken vessel within it. I had no real way to counter that, only a defensive cast. One which I immediately called forth.
Monsoon rushed towards me with near blinding speeds before the wave hit, breaking my barrier with ease and backing off just as quickly. So much for my plan.
The wave hit me like a train. Or Natsu when he gets angry, all the same really. I was washed up in the current, lucky as to have avoided getting crushed or hit by anything as the wave rose and receded.
"You have nothing on me, child," Atlas taunted. "I have an Atlantic Trident here, and you have a pair of petty kitchen knives. No number of attacks will cut through my defenses. You barely have enough magic to defend yourself from a simple wave."
I unleashed Berserker, realizing that I'd need all the strength I could get for this fight. All I had to do was wait him out, just like with all other magic users I've fought. This guy just so happens to have a trident which can summon the full power of the seas with which he can impale me, drown me, crush me, bury me, send me out to sea, or any other number of potentially gruesome ways to end my life. Yeah, no pressure. Just a lot of water. Way too much, actually. If only Natsu were here, he could help me.
Man, this was going to be rough.
Natsu sneezed, feeling a disturbance all the way back in Magnolia.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," he muttered, pushing the worry to the back of his mind.
Atlas howled like a madman, thrusting his spear forward to summon another wave of salt water my way. With the help of Berserker I was able to vault over the wave, but was quickly punched out of the skies by my enraged foe.
"Shockwave," I roared, sending the barrier his way. He gracefully avoided the attack, sending another cyclone at me. I literally cut through it with an upward swing with the dull side of the blade. I was almost immediately on the defensive as Atlas thrust at me with the pointy end of his three-pronged glorified spear. I barely pulled it up before he withdrew, attempting to slash at me with the forked blade. With a grunt I pushed it off with Trinket, performing a successful party by slashing his belly with Shamrock. I tore his clothes in that spot, revealing a set of water-based runes on his body. I swallowed. Maybe I'm in over my head here.
"Not bad, boy," he complimented me. "But you are no master."
"I don't need to be," I responded. "I just need to wait."
"For what, Mommy and Daddy to come and save you," he taunted, swiping down with the blunt side of his blue spear. I blocked this with Shamrock, pushing it down to trap him. "I'm sorry, but they're off tending the bar."
"What, is that supposed to scare me," I returned. He chuckled darkly.
"No, but this might," he answered. "Now I call forth the might of the seas, from the darkest depths of the Sea's Bowels. Come to me, Leviathan of the Depths: Kraken!"
A massive tentacle rose from the sea surface, twisting and curling as it rose from the ocean. Wasn't this supposed to be a lake?!
The tentacle shrank as it approached the beach, forming instead one of many smaller tentacles erupting from the body of an angry crustacean.
"Okay, I don't think I could ever have seen that coming," I admitted. Okay, quick solution: Shock Dagger. Water conducts electricity, right? I drew one with two fingers and tossed it at the crab. The creature caught it, stabbing it into the sandy ground. "Or that."
SKREEEEEE! The creature howled as it charged after me. I had to roll out of the way before one of the tentacles whipped me, only to be slammed into it by a large claw. I sliced the tentacle apart, causing emerald burn marks to appear on its severed limb. The beast cried out in agony, then in furious rage.
If this isn't the part where I run, this is the part where I die. This is my story, and I will not die here. I'll stick with running.
I noticed Monsoon charging his spear again in front of me. An idea formed in my mind, and I had a bad feeling about it. Good, he wouldn't see it coming. He loosed his assault, sending a cyclone my way. At the last second, I vaulted over it so that it hit the Kraken. Twisting in midair, I readied my swords to slice into the beast's tough hide.
The beam stopped, revealing the Kraken to be off balance. I used this to my advantage and sliced downwards on the monster's head. Emerald blades sliced through its aquatic armor like butter, leaving emerald energy in its wake. The whole creature turned blue after one final screech of pain before becoming one with the seas. The water that was once a Kraken flowed back into the rest of the saltwater that comprised the lake and ocean.
"Well, I certainly did not expect that," Atlas stated. "However, I must have you know that this fight is over. I win, you lose."
"I beg to differ, but you are right," I corrected the maniac. "This fight is over, but I will not be the loser. Ballistae Barrage."
Magic circles formed and fired, only to be stopped by an aquatic cyclone surrounding Atlas. The water shield fell, revealing Atlas prepared to hurl his trident.
"Triton's Thrust," Monsoon shouted, hurling the spear. The trident's runes began to glow a bright turquoise as it flew, making the forked weapon accelerate towards me.
"Fortified Barrier," I chanted, calling forth five barriers and raising my swords in a criss-cross pattern to intercept the angry weapon.
The spear broke all five barriers instantly, pushing me back as soon as it hit my swords. I strained to keep the prongs away from me; without my Goggles, I had no way of seeing what it could do to me, and there is no way I would take that risk.
I pushed harder, straining my muscles to keep the trident away from me. I tried pushing it away, but it drew its points back to me. I tried shoving it down, but it pushed back harder. I was starting to run out of ideas. Out of stamina.
Out of hope.
A child's terrified scream entered my ears, and in my scared state it made me recall an old memory.
"What do you want, kid," a much younger Laxus Dreyar asked me back when I first became a member of the guild about six years ago. Macao took care of me back then, but I still had no place in the guild up until that point. I sniffled, scared and alone. I remember that it was cold, and a young Mirajane Strauss had her arms crossed as she leaned on the railing.
"I don't care, I just want him to stop crying," Mira stated, somewhat annoyed by my constant crying.
"You know what, let's find his parents," Laxus suggested. "Every kid has parents. Kid, where are your parents?"
My response was always foggy to me, but this time it came out crystal clear.
"Dead in the castle," was my squeaky response. "Daddy fell when a big man hit him with a big stick, and he never got up. Mommy got gobbled up by a Dragon when I came here."
A shocked silence fell over the two older children as I started bawling outright. Seconds later, I felt a warmth embrace me. It was Mirajane, trying desperately not to start crying herself. In hindsight, I know it was because she herself had lost her own parents. But back then, I had no idea why she had water in her eyes.
Almost a minute passed before I heard Laxus move.
"Here, listen to this," he said, holding his Sound Pods in his hands. "It usually helps me relax." The headphones went gently over my ears and played a soft tune in my ears. The singer's voice excitedly matched the general tone and meaning of the lyrics he sang, singing about living one's life on the hope of a prayer. The melody calmed me, lulling me to sleep just before it ended. The next thing I remember is seeing Laxus and Mirajane gently waking me up in one of the guild hall's many bedrooms. That day was the beginning of what would become a great friendship and a familial relationship that keeps me going to this day.
I snapped out of the memory with a reinvigorated passion to win the fight. Blue electricity trailed down my arms, enhancing my already insane physical strength to absurdity. I dug my heels into the ground, stopping me and the deadly trident in our tracks. The child behind me gaped in awe at the sight she beheld.
With a new might and passion to win, as well as a mighty roar, I sent the trident back to its sender with a downswing. A wave of emerald energy followed the destructive weapon, infused with the crackling blue electricity. The sand around me churned a bit, as if a small breeze had just blown around me.
"What in the," Atlas cried in fear. "I only… how did you? THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"
The trident was the only attack he caught, and its runes had deactivated. The wave of energy struck him with enough force to blow sand twice as high as the mast of the broken ship. A somewhat strong gust of wind rushed past me from the sheer force of the blast.
Berserker left me once again, and I felt its vengeance. Nausea made the world spin, silencing the world temporarily. For almost a minute I was immobilized, feeling nothing but the cooling sea breeze against my damp clothes. Quite relaxing for sore muscles, not so much for dizziness. My stomach began to churn, making me feel truly sick since I had recently eaten back at the guild.
A warmth came over me as a golden light stilled the spinning world. My gut quit feeling like Natsu on a train, and the aches in my body began to fade. Sounds began overcoming the ringing in my ears, though they were still muffled and outright indiscernible. I was able to look behind me to the source of the miracle light.
It was no miracle. This was a rare but modern type of magic known as Medical Magic, used by doctors such as the man behind me.
"Rest easy," I saw him mouth, barely understanding him. I think I overdid it this time. I turned back around to relax my sore muscles.
Hearing took a bit of time to return to me, about five minutes, but I was able to hear clearly once more within that time span.
"Thanks, sir," I expressed my gratitude with a handshake as soon as I was able to stand. I patted his daughter's head since she helped me up to my feet. "Maybe a coincidence, but you being there helped me out."
"Consider it even," the doctor said. "Had you not stopped that trident when you did, my whole family would've been blown away. It was making a cyclone behind it, and we would have been caught right in the middle of it."
My Band of Magic Generation reactivated, pouring the power into my Bands of Regeneration and Strength.
"Well, thanks for the help, at the very least for getting me back on my feet," I thanked him. "Name's Erwin, I'm from Fairy Tail."
"Call me Al, freelance Medical Wizard," Al offered in kind. "If you ever need anything, feel free to come to me."
"I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET," I paled as I heard the voice of Atlas coming from just past the shipwreck. I picked up my dropped weapons, preparing to ignite them as Al and his family hid behind me. Atlas shuffled out of the cloud of sand and dust, tattered clothes exposing his scratched and scraped body. He did have one or two places where he was bleeding, but it was minor compared to the greater whole. He held his trident loosely in his hand, shaking with every step he took. It was evident that he was using every bit of strength he had left to stand, so walking should've been painful to him.
"I will finish… my job at… at all costs," Atlas declared. He then proceeded to quite comically fall flat on his face, losing the last of the fight left in him.
"I think he took the harder hit," I thought aloud. Hums of approval and agreement sounded from Al and his family behind me. "Do you think I went overboard?"
"Nah, I think that was about good enough," Al answered. "Actually, most of the damage was his fault."
I couldn't quite argue with this. The shipwreck was all his doing, what with that tidal wave thing of his. Then there were all the lines in the sand from all the Water Magic attacks he sent at me, the damage from the Kraken, and the skid marks in the sand from him throwing the trident at me. The only thing I caused was the currently falling cloud of dust and any crater he might've crawled out of.
"Well, at least I get treasure for my troubles," I joked, pointing at the shipwreck. The child giggled, even Al and his wife finding humor in that statement.
THOOM! I snapped to the direction of the loud crash, only to find a metallic gray pillar jutting out of the guild hall. Another crashed through the ceiling, followed quickly by one blasting through the street just outside the hall. Several more crashed through the streets towards the beach, right towards me.
"Get behind me," I ordered. The family did so in fear. "Fortified Barrier: Compact Wall!" Several barriers rose parallel to each other, only to merge into one orange hexagonal lattice barrier. I got ready to catch the next one, preparing to force another Berserker to come out.
A pillar slammed through the beach, sending sand flying everywhere. Here it comes, a voice from deep within me warned. It was right, as the next one chipped itself on my barrier before breaking through. I caught this pillar, stopping it dead in its tracks using Berserker. A man with spiky black hair and iron studs on his face landed right in front of where the first pillar broke the surface. His sharp canines made his confident smirk much scarier… or would have, had I not just been attacked by a trident-wielding maniac mere minutes ago.
"Well then," the guy said with a voice that sounded like a lion swallowed a chainsaw. "I can't say I expected you still standing."
"What, were you expecting him," I fully sheathed Trinket and Shamrock. "Can't say I blame you. Nearly lost to him, but I managed to pull it off."
"You do realize that I've fought him twice before," the guy said. "Lost both times by a long shot. He's like the Erza Scarlet of Phantom Lord."
My eyes narrowed. So he's an official wizard? Is this guy one of them?
"Well, I am one tough cookie to crack," I mentioned. "Sorry to disappoint."
"He said beating you would be easy since you don't have magic," the unknown Phantom Lord wizard stated. "That all you had was crazy strength and some Berserker thing you do."
"Things have changed quickly," I stated. "Got a spell or two under my belt now. Couple of new toys, too."
"Duly noted," he shrugged. He kicked back one of his arms. "Let's see how tough you are now! Iron Dragon Iron Fist!"
His fist extended into another pillar, blasting straight at me. I unleashed Berserker and cast an improvised spell of my own.
"Fortified Barrier: Berserker Shockwave!" Red misty flames surrounded my right fist, blasting towards my elbow. I threw my fist at the pillar, accelerating my punch with the new spell I just cast. Good to know that it works.
CRASH! The pillar shattered like glass, falling harmlessly to the sandy ground. My punch followed through with plenty of momentum, but nothing was there to stop it.
A painful crunch erupted from my right shoulder, and pain tore through my body at light speed. I screamed in agony, but so did the guy when the sheer force of the punch threw him back a short distance. I had just thrown my shoulder out of socket.
"Ow," the Iron Dragon Slayer grunted. "Okay, that was painful. My job here is done anyways; I'm takin' Atlas and getting outta here." Pillars burst from his feet, launching him to the sky. He landed a ways behind me, out by the shipwreck. Seconds went by before I heard the second boom.
Tears threatened to fall as I gripped the injured shoulder. Al came over and held my limp arm up.
"Hold still, this might hurt," Al warned. Without warning, he ripped my arm out before gently letting it back into socket. The pain didn't stop, but it did numb a bit. Golden light surrounded it, as well as a claret glow when the Band of Regeneration activated. Steam rose from my shoulder as the pain began to numb. Berserker deactivated as soon as the punch threw my shoulder out of socket, so I only felt a bit hungrier.
Once the pain faded in full, I nodded to Al in gratitude.
"Al, I need you to head up to Fairy Tail," I told him. "I don't know how many people there are injured, and I need to check the rest of the beach. I'll compensate you when I can."
"But don't they have Medical Wizards of their own," Al asked, somewhat afraid of the attackers.
"Not really, but we still have strong wizards," I promised. "They'll make sure you and your family are safe. I swear they will protect you, but I need you to help them. Here, take these." I gave him a pair of Mana Rings with minor enhancement runes on them. "You might need them."
He hesitated for a moment before nodding firmly and taking his family up to the guild hall.
Right, they'll be safe now, I reassured myself. I turned to the shipwreck. Now I need to see about clearing that away safely. Who knows, maybe I'll actually find a thing.
With that, I rushed to the broken beached boat and began using my incredible might to tear large heaps of wood away like it was nothing. If anyone was still under there, I had to save them before I did anything else. I did have a handful of Healing Potions in my Pouch, so even if they were injured I could still help them.
Next time on Fairy Knight: Fairy Tail has been attacked. Team Natsu has been tricked into going on a dangerous mission. Erwin is injured and sore from his recent fights. How will our protagonists fight this new threat? Will they be able to beat them? And will Al be able to help turn the tide in this fight?
A/N: I know I said I would explain how Erwin pulled off a spell he hardly had time to practice last chapter, and failed to this chapter. I feel as though I do owe an explanation, so let me do something potentially dumb: explain the Berserker state.
Berserker: a non-magic ability that enhances a mage's physical and magical abilities. This power is normally inhibited by stronger magic generation found within the mage themself, as items do little to inhibit it. It is rarely ever controlled, but Erwin has found a way to do so by tricking it into activating when he needs to. Gradual increases in stimuli do not affect the Berserker power, but massive spikes in even a single stimulus will trigger it as a protective mechanism within the body. No person can simply 'obtain' this power, as a mage must be born with it to have its protection. It is a rare ability commonly called a disorder, as it has ties to magic deficiency.
Side effects of Berserker are rarely known, but some may include a more efficient use of magic energy, more powerful magic abilities, drawing in magic energy from the user's surroundings, magic resistance, physical resistance, and energy emission of some kind. This emission, known as Berserker Venting, can take the form of a mist-like flame, electricity, or a smokey substance. This emission can be toxic if potent enough, but it does have its uses.
Yeah, I know it doesn't count because it's in an endnote, but at least now those who read these know what went on with Berserker and Ballistae Barrage.
Anyways, I feel better after making a two-parter for once. I hope I didn't ruin anything, but if I did please let me know. This is General Texas, signing out.