Who's excited? ;) huge reveal in this one, can't wait to hear your reactions! To my new follower TsunTsunOtaku, as well as all of my others and anyone who has viewed the story, hope you enjoy the new chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it!
Moving into the next room, the Fairy Tail Mages found themselves in a dead end. "This must be where the Devil Claw master is." Whispered Shira, Hans tight around her sword.
"Yeah, but where is he?"
Then everything happened at once. The floor rumbled, and opened up, out from which three figures leapt. The gigantic Boulder Mage and the Telepathy Mage that had fought with Wendy and Lucy the day before, along with a thin, wiry man. Judging from the fancy cape and hat he wore, this was the Devil Claw Master. "Looks like you picked the wrong defense, dumbass. This'll be over before you know it." Gajeel launched forward at the Boulder Mage, intent on crushing him with brute force.
The other Mage just smirked. "You're right. It will be."
Suddenly, the Telepathy Mage was replaced by the Clothier Mage, and the Boulder Mage by the Magnetic Mage. Gajeel was thrown into a wall once more, and the armor Erza had dawned disappeared in a flash. Shira stood, confused. "What?"
"Arrogant fools. I am no Clothier Mage," the colorful wizard laughed. "I change appearances. Each Mage you met on the way was simply an trick, hiding their true form. Creating the illusion of their powers was child's play, and you all fell for it!"
"Less talking," the Boulder Mage growled. "More hitting."
The Devil Claw Master laughed. "Soon, my pets, but first..."
He gestured at the floor, and from the darkness a ball of lacrima in the center of the room lit up, revealing scenes from each of the previous rooms. Natsu now fought the Water Mage, Gray the Lava Mage, Lucy the Telepathy Mage, and Wendy the Boulder Mage. The tables turned quickly, with each losing ground and getting pummeled. In the final room, Gajeel was thrown around like a baseball, hitting the wall, the ceiling, the floor. Even Erza, who was still trying to equip armor, could do nothing but watch as their friends fought losing battles. Shira unfroze, jumping into action. Targeting the Telepathy Mage first, she jumped, when suddenly the sword was pulled from her hand and thrown sheer through the door. The Magnetic Mage had taken it. "How...?"
"You are not the only one who has visited the countries to the South. Once I got a good look at that sword of yours, I changed my technique. It was simply a matter of finding what magnetic attraction suited that type of metal best. Now that I have relinquished you of your sword, you're powerless. Surrender, sword master. You have lost."
"Shira, run!" Yelled Erza as she lunged once again at her enemy, determined not to be defeated. "Find Warren, tell everyone to retreat back to the guild!"
Again, the Devil Claw Master spoke. "This room has been sealed. As long as I maintain the seal, no one will be leaving. You see that your friends have found themselves fighting their previous opponents. The same goes for those in the guild hall. All of you have fallen into my trap. It has taken many months of surveillance and planning, but slowly I gathered a Mage for every one of you Fairy scum. The return of your more powerful mages only delayed the inevitable."
"Why are you doing this? What has Fairy Tail done to you?" Erza asked, before being struck down.
"Don't flatter yourselves. I'm simply going down the line, destroying the strongest guild in Fiore before moving on to the next one. You think you're so important, you Fairies," he spit, eyes burning. "You are nothing. And now, as you watch your comrades be destroyed around you, you will know it."
"No," Shira whispered, hands clenching.
She feared for Reedus, Warren, Lucy, Wendy, everyone who had welcomed her in, called her family. "You will not hurt them..."
The Devil Claw Master laughed, staring down at the weapon-less woman. "Yes, I know you. The wanderer. The sword master. The unmarked girl with no magic, no home. Who are you now?"
Shira mumbled again. "Didn't catch that, my dear Fairy, what are you?"
Suddenly, Shira was glowing again. She leapt at the guild master, rage showing on her face. "I am most certainly not 'your dear'. And I am not a Fairy, either." Shira gazed sadly at her comrades. "I almost was...but no."
She lunged suddenly at the Devil Claw Master, purring speed into the charge. "I am a monster!"
Gajeel gaped as her tattoos glowed brighter, turquoise in the darkness of the room. "Now I remember. I thought those symbols looked familiar, but I never thought..."
"She did say she didn't like dragons..." Erza murmured as she watched the other woman.
Shira's mouth opened wide. "Black Dragon: Apocalypse Roar!"
"Acnologia's daughter..."
...I'm just gonna let that sink in... ;) tell me what you think!