Author's Notes: Well, the addition of canon (and how things are developing in the same way despite Naruto's presence) seems to have turned off some people. It's okay, I'm not forcing anyone to read my story. I enjoy writing it, and if you guys enjoy reading it then great. If not, well, you can always read other stories on the site that are far superior to my own.
At this point, I wish I could give all of you good news on the progress of chapter 16, but life has thrown me a few distractions. I hope I can get it sorted by the time I upload chapter 15.
I'm going to add an explanation for the way the story progressed in this arc, right at the end of the chapter. If you find this arc developing in a manner you think doesn't make sense, do give my explanation a read. If you still feel aggrieved, then I have nothing else to offer. I won't revamp my story, but if the day comes when I lose interest in it, you can always adopt it and do it the way you think is right. Heck, if you wanted to, just drop me a PM and I'll gladly give you permission to use the ideas in this story. It'll be nice to see a better writer take my initial concept to a higher level. Ideas are meant to be shared anyway, to benefit the community as a whole.
Oh, and I killed the forum. I'll just reply to your reviews via PM.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Fairy Tail.
Chapter 10: Phantom Lord II (X784)
A loudspeaker from the Phantom Lord headquarters blared out as Natsu rushed over to Erza's fallen body. "After Makarov…now even Erza is unable to fight too. You don't stand a chance. Hand over Lucy Heartfilia-sama right now."
"You're out of your mind!"
"Where in the world would you find a guild that offers up a comrade to an enemy?!"
"Lucy's our comrade!"
"That's right!"
"Go back!"
We won't hand over Lucy!"
The voice behind the loudspeaker sounded extremely annoyed at the resistance posed by the Fairy Tail members. "Hand her over."
"We'd rather die than give up on our comrade!" Erza yelled at the top of her lungs, despite the strain it placed on her damaged body.
Lucy brought her hand to her mouth as she choked back a grateful sob, while the rest of her guild mates roared in approval at Erza's words. Natsu's temper near volcanic, he couldn't help but throw in his own two cents. "Our answer won't change no matter what! We'll take you down!"
"I see…" the voice murmured, before the man shouted into his microphone. "Then we'll fire off an even bigger and stronger Jupiter! Now struggle in this fifteen minute period of terror while it's being reloaded!"
Even as he spoke, hundreds of cloaked warriors jumped off the edge of Phantom Lord's building, and landed adroitly on the lake surface. They charged towards the battered Fairy Tail members, who looked uneasy at the insurmountable odds they were facing. A sense of helplessness fell upon them as they could only watch the approaching army in anguish. As the speakerphone blasted out another death threat, Fairy Tail was disgusted by his apparent willingness to sacrifice his own men for absolute victory. That was until Cana recognised the cloaked mages that rapidly approached them as a part of Jose's Shade magic, and merely wraiths summoned by Jose to do battle.
That demoralised the already distressed guild even more, until Natsu stood up and declared his intentions to stop Jupiter. Without another word, Happy grabbed his partner and they swooped across the skies, above the shades and went straight for the Phantom building. Gray and Elfman were not ones to sit out, and they too, rushed towards the guild that had cause them so much pain and heartache these past few days. Cana and Loke stood firm on the banks of Lake Sciliora, taking charge of the situation as they prepared to do battle with the shade warriors until the rest could defeat Jupiter. Behind them, Mirajane was pulling Lucy along towards a hideout, but the girl refused.
"I have to fight with the others too!" Lucy declared. "It's my fault this happened!"
"No…I don't think it's your fault," Mirajane shook her head, recalling Makarov and Ráfaga's cryptic words. Grabbing Lucy's hand firmly, she tried to reassure the girl. "No one thinks it's your fault, Lucy. For our comrades who have been defeated, for our guild, and to protect you…everyone's proud of this war. So, please listen to me."
Mirajane was infinitely glad for Ráfaga's help with the next spell she was about to perform, as she raised her hand to Lucy's head. The Sleep Magic took effect quickly, as the girl fell unconscious in moments. Calling for Reedus' help, the Pict Magic user drew a carriage on his magically stretched and flattened abdomen, before materialising it into an actual horse and carriage. The man took Lucy in his arms, and hopped into the magical carriage as they rode off to the hideout. Mirajane looked at the retreating vehicle, before she transformed into a facsimile copy of Lucy. I might not have any more power left for combat, but…I'll protect my comrades at any cost! This is the way of Fairy Tail!
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Natsu frowned as he hammered the large cannon head futilely, unable to damage the massive steel contraption. Happy, in spite of his silly antics at times, wisely pointed out that it might be more vulnerable from inside. With full faith in his blue partner, Natsu clambered off the top of the cannon, lowering himself into the mouth of the magical weapon. The smooth barrel (for there was no ammunition, and thus no need for rifling) was a bit too slippery for the dragon slayer, as he slid down the barrel and only stopping just before the end of the long tunnel.
He let out an involuntary gasp of awe as he studied the massive firing mechanism of Jupiter, with consisted of a huge black orb in the centre of a room, secured to floor and ceiling with sturdy pillars. Four receptacles with three giant electrical cables each were attached to the orb, away from the barrel. These were connected to the floor and ceiling as well, two sets per surface. Various turning gears were scattered around the room, no doubt crucial for the directional changes of the cannon. For a flying blue cat half of Natsu's age, Happy seemed far more knowledgeable about matters, recognising the orb as a giant lacrima crystal that gathered magic for the cannon to fire.
Natsu didn't understand a word that came out of Happy's mouth, but knowing it was essential for the cannon's operation was good enough for him. As he leapt off the edge of the barrel to the ground, he was confronted by a shadowed figure. Growling, he encased his fists in flames as he dashed towards the shady figure, intent on blowing him away to get to the core of Jupiter. Then, all of a sudden, Natsu's flaming fist smacked himself in the face, causing the man to splutter as he was thrown off his direct course to fight the guard before him. Perplexed, both Happy and Natsu glared at their opponent, who stared down at them with cold, uncaring eyes.
The hair had two tones, black and white, and was tied in a topknot. Three horizontal black bars were tattooed across his face; they went under his eyes and over the bridge of his nose. He wore a red gi and black obi, with what resembled fur lining the edges of his top. Fishnet covered his body underneath the gi, and he had his sleeves rolled up to mid forearm. He wore a pair of loose pants that had their edges tucked into his black boots, and he had a simple katana strapped to his left hip.
"Move! I'm going to destroy that cannon!" Natsu shouted at his opponent.
The man stood unmoving, unconcerned about Natsu's presence. "I said I won't let you…did I not?"
"I don't have time!" Natsu bellowed. "Don't waste my time talking so slow!"
As he sheathed his left fist once more in flames, he charged at the man. Unexpectedly, his fist came up to smack him in the jaw again, sending him tumbling to the side. Rubbing his jaw with his right hand while shaking his left hand to try and get rid of its disobedience, Natsu wondered what exactly was happening. Not the brightest of bulbs in the drawer, he was quickly reminded of his actual mission by Happy. Gathering his wits, he prepared to charge at the lacrima, his right hand bursting into flames. The Phantom member stared at him, and suddenly, he was made to spin dizzyingly. The man took advantage of the opening, slamming a knee into Natsu to send him flying backwards, crashing into the wall behind him.
"I'm Totomaru of the Element Four, a controller of the fire element. All flames are controlled by me. Whether it be an enemy's or nature's, all the flames out there are mine!" the man introduced himself and describing his abilities, to Natsu's outrage.
"My flame is mine!"
"Natsu, who cares about that! Let's destroy this first!" Happy grimaced as he gestured at the giant lacrima.
Totomaru smirked as he stared at the easily riled fire dragon slayer. "This seems to be a bad situation for you, Mr. Fire Mage."
The giant lacrima crystal glowed as it began to gather magic from the surroundings, to Happy's consternation. Before Natsu could do anything about Jupiter's preparations, however, Totomaru unleashed a wave of blue fire at the dragon slayer. Natsu opened his mouth, and without ado, gobbled up the fire. Totomaru only looked amused as Natsu proclaimed it to be the coldest fire he had eaten yet. "I see…you're the rumoured flame dragon slayer. I guess it turns out bad for both of us."
At Natsu's bewildered stare, Totomaru elaborated. "'Cause neither of our flames can effectively harm each other."
"Don't jump to conclusions," Natsu retorted, confident in his own fires. "You didn't even taste my flame yet."
"I told you, I won't get hit by any flame attack," Totomaru repeated, a tad irritated.
Natsu pondered the issue for a moment, before a dim idea hit his mind. Gathering something in his mouth, he prepared to fire it in Totomaru's direction. The man re-emphasised the impossibility of flames hitting him, as he prepared to counter Natsu's Fire Dragon Roar. Holding out his palms in front of him, ready to redirect Natsu's flames away, he was thus taken by surprise when the pink-haired mage spat in his face instead. Angered at being tricked, Totomaru howled as he unleashed a blast of orange fire that stung Natsu's eyes and nose something fierce. The odious smell of the orange flames caused Natsu to swear and curse while holding his sensitive nose, while Totomaru laughed uproariously at his opponent.
Having had enough, Natsu burst away from the fire, and charged the Element Four member with only his fists. Totomaru smirked, assuming himself to have the advantage in a close quarter scenario, as he drew his sword swiftly. The two were rather even in spite of the deadly blade Totomaru wielded however, and his ire fueled by the inability to touch Totomaru, Natsu coated his fists in fire once more. The Phantom member took the opportunity as it came, controlling the flames to smack Natsu with his own fist once more. However, what he didn't expect was Natsu to extend his flames even as he hit his own jaw, engulfing Totomaru in the backwash.
Angered but impressed by Natsu's thoughtful strategy, Totomaru hopped backwards, out of reach of Natsu and ensuring he would not be hit by the same trick again. Jupiter hummed ominously as the minutes ticked away, and the cannon built up the energy necessary for a second blast. Seconds before the launch of Jupiter, Natsu conjured a massive inferno. Totomaru raised his free hand at the brilliant red fire, only to find his control over flames was negated by Natsu's grasp over his own fire. Stunned, Totomaru ducked from the fiery blast, laughing at Natsu's miss. That quickly turned to shock as the gout of flames crashed right into the lacrima of Jupiter, smashing it into infinitesimal pieces, destroying the magic cannon in the process.
The destruction of the cannon brought a wave of cheers to the fighters on the ground, now emboldened by Natsu's success. As the glittering remnants of the lacrima showered Totomaru, he wondered just where did someone as strong as Natsu come from.
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The Phantom Lord guild headquarters trembled as it rose onto its legs once again, gears clanking and whirling as the gigantic machine slowly tilted itself backwards, the bottom facing Fairy Tail. The legs that helped the building move shifted as parts of the structure moved into place, forming three-fingered hands and two giant legs. A large, helmeted head sprung up from the top of the machine, and steam erupted from joints as the humanoid avatar stomped forwards, slowly but surely making its way towards Fairy Tail.
Within the massive structure, the moving machine was causing Natsu all sorts of problems. The vehicularly-challenged fire mage was too busy holding back his puke to continue his fight with Totomaru, the Element Four member's confidence boosted by the successful assembly of the giant robot that was once Phantom Lord's guild headquarters. Conjuring up seven different colours of flames with seven fingers, Totomaru proceeded to expand them into a rainbow of fire above his head. Cackling at Natsu's inability to fight, the Element Four member was about to throw his ultimate magic at Natsu when his casting hands were frozen solid by a chunk of ice. His astonishment would not end there, as his entire body was quickly covered in ice.
A massively hairy hand grabbed the solid chunk of ice that held Totomaru, and with little difficulty, the Element Four member was tossed into the skies, disappearing from the battlefield. Elfman and Gray huffed at Natsu's pathetic state, the latter holding a half-conscious Happy in his arm. As the trio of mages discussed Natsu's success at destroying Jupiter, the giant robot they stood in suddenly lurched to a halt. Happy, determined to contribute, flew out of the broken walls to check out the situation.
Outside, the hands of the robot rose as they started drawing figures in the sky. The figures remained hanging in front of the robot as a circle of runes was slowly drew the magical seal, to the consternation of everyone on the ground.
"This seal is…Abyss Break?" Mirajane whispered in horror, her body shivering from the terrible implications. "Isn't that…one of the forbidden spells?"
"Such a huge seal…this is bad!" Loke added, a quick glance at the target area of the spell confirming his thoughts. "The dark blast will destroy everything all the way to the Cardia Cathedral!"
"Mira…how long will it take for that spell to activate?" Cana asked through the window of the guild, as Macao kept the shades off of Cana, their de facto ground leader's back.
Mirajane bit her lip, wishing for the umpteenth time that there was someone they could rely on to lead them through the mess. "I think…about ten minutes…I wonder if there's a way to destroy its power source…"
"The guys on the inside must be thinking the same thing," Cana replied.
Mirajane, confused by Cana's choice of words, clarified. "Natsu's not the only one inside there?"
"No…Gray and Elfman are in there too," Cana answered promptly, to Mirajane's shock.
"Elfman?! Why?!"
"Don't act so surprised, Elfman is-" Cana began, only to be cut off by Mirajane's outburst. "He can't! Elfman can't fight! You should know that too, Cana!"
"He can fight…he took part in the fighting before," Cana retorted.
Mirajane was not so convinced. "It's one thing to go against soldiers. But if he finds himself up against the leaders…the way he is now…"
"Hey…Mira…I know both you and Elfman were both terribly hurt by what happened…but Elfman is trying his best to move forward from that day," Cana spoke proudly of her fellow guild member. "He's your little brother, I get that…but have more faith in him, will you?"
Elfman is trying his best…I too, should be doing the same… Mirajane thought, guilt at her inadequacies gnawing at her heart. Her mind made up, she burst out of the building she was hiding in, startling Cana. Standing at the back of everyone fighting, she ignored their calls for her to fall back. Everyone knew of her inability to fight anymore, but she didn't care. Ráfaga…I don't know where you are…but I know you're definitely doing something important for you to have to be away at this crucial juncture. So I'll be brave, and fight for the both of us!
In her guise as Lucy, she threw her hands out at shouted at the giant monstrosity bearing down on them. This should buy us some time… "I'm the one you're after, right?! Stop attacking the guild right now!"
"Disappear…little imposter," the speakers conveyed Jose's harsh voice. "I knew right from the very beginning that Lucy is not there. There's no way that the person being targeted will be sent to the frontlines. Spare me the bullshit and just die."
Ignoring the efforts of Mirajane, the robot continued its ominous sketch of Abyss Break.
I'm completely useless…as usual…
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"Salut."
Elfman turned, pausing in his run to face the strange man that just oozed out of the ground. The man smiled darkly as he introduced himself. "My name is Sol. You may call me Monsieur Sol."
"What great timing," Elfman declared, stripping his cloak off his back with a flourish. "You can tell me how to stop this giant. Beast Arm: Black Bull!"
His right arm turned completely black, which intrigued Sol. "Oh? Will you be alright with just that one transformed arm? It seems the rumours are quite accurate after all…I know all about you. No, more than that, my head contains details pertaining to all the mages that belong to Fairy Tail…"
"Don't you ever stop talkin'?!" Elfman roared, as he charged Sol recklessly.
The Element Four member jumped over Elfman's punch, contorting inhumanly. "I believe you had a younger sister once, right?"
Stunned by Sol's mention of Lisanna, Elfman was only able to get his arms up in a hasty block, while Sol unleashed a wave of sand with his Sable Dance. The sand obscured Elfman's vision, preventing him from seeing Sol. The slinky man wasted no time, attacking Elfman next with his Roche Concerto. The barrage of rocks slammed into Elfman, eliciting a shout of pain as the man was knocked to his knees from the volley. Sol smirked as he continued his little mind game. "A while back, you underwent a Full-Body Take Over, but it went wrong, and you ran wild…your precious sister gave her life to stop the rampage…isn't that right?"
"And the trauma that resulted from that incident has prevented you from being able to perform the Full-Body Take Over ever since…" the green-haired Phantom member taunted, confident in his superiority.
"Beast Arm: Iron Bull!" Elfman shouted, as his arm turned from black to a giant iron arm.
Sol was not impressed, merely chortling as he twisted his body around the arm, wrapping it tightly with his stretchy body. His head stretched out to mock Elfman with a smirk. "Salut."
Elfman growled as he grabbed Sol, and tried tugging the man off his arm to no avail. Sol only chuckled at his fruitless endeavour, returning to his original form as he leapt off Elfman's arm, and delivered a spinning kick to the larger man's jaw. He sent Elfman skidding on the ground, and only watched in faint amusement as Elfman stood up, attempting but failing to do a Full-Body Take Over. Elfman's energy fell drastically, something Sol took great delight to pointing out to the collapsed mage. "Hmmm…! You should avoid attempting that which you cannot achieve! It would appear your power has fallen drastically thanks to that failed attempt at a Full-Body Take Over!"
Sol slammed a powerful kick into the weakened Elfman's midsection. Spittle flew out of the large man's mouth as he flew back, unable to counter Sol's attacks at all. The man hummed as he shifted his hands in a blurry montage of movement. "Hmmm…as a gentleman, it is only right that I should end this with my most powerful spell. Plâtre Sonata!"
A fist of plaster smashed right into Elfman, crashing him into the wall behind him. The wall shattered with little resistance, exposing the hallway they were battling in to the outside world. Elfman laid on the edges of the hole Sol's attack made, his body beaten and unmoving. Groaning, he opened his weary eyes, only to spot the giant three-fingered hand of the robot holding on to a struggling Mirajane. "N-Neechan!"
"Oh…your older sister…in other words, that woman out there, would she happen to be the famous Mirajane-sama, once feared as the Demon?" Sol inquired, adjusting his monocle. "My, my…it would appear that her magical powers has dwindled quite drastically…how tragic."
"I'm afraid she's being punished for attempting to deceive us about her identity," Sol explained, as Elfman struggled to get up. "She should be smashed apart any moment now…"
"Run…" Mirajane winced, calling out to Elfman.
"Neechan…the hell do you call this! Let her go right now!" Elfman roared, only for his head to be cracked against the wall by Sol, stepping on his scalp with impunity.
Mirajane, desperate for the safety of her sibling, cried out. "Stop it! It doesn't matter what happens to me! But just leave Elfman alone!"
"Will you have to go through it all again, I wonder?" Sol taunted the Take Over mage at his feet. "Such a pity…losing first your younger sister, and then your elder sister right before your very eyes…"
"Elfman…run, please!" Mirajane sobbed.
"Why…I swore that I'd never see your tears ever again, neechan…so why are you crying?!" Elfman growled hotly, bursting to his feet. Sol jumped away as Elfman stood, his entire body transforming instead of just his right arm. "Who was it that made you cry?!"
"You mustn't!" Mirajane shouted in desperation. "You can still only use a single arm!"
"Lisanna died…because I was too weak…" Elfman said, to Mirajane's protests. "I don't want to feel that way ever again! Ráfaga was there to stop me, but now he's not around, so I'll have to do it myself! I want to become a strong man, someone worthy of protecting you, neechan! Let. Neechan. GO!"
Sol's eyes widened in fear as Elfman grew in size and stature, with thick fur covering his body from top to bottom. His hair grew to become a mane, as horns jutted out of his forehead and shoulders. His legs became hooves as the monstrous beast that the Strauss siblings faced years ago. Sol screeched as Elfman barraged him with blows that the Element Four member couldn't catch, and in an instant, it was over. As the beastly Elfman stood over the collapsed body of Sol, Mirajane stared at the scene with trepidation.
"Hey…Elfman…can you hear me…you haven't lost all reason again, have you?" Mirajane questioned weakly, even as the beast stalked over to her, before jumping onto the hand that was holding Mirajane hostage.
Pushing the giant fingers apart with ease, Elfman wrapped an arm around his sister protectively. "I'm sorry…neechan…you probably didn't want to see this face anymore…it was all because I couldn't control this form properly that Lisanna…"
"You're lucid," Mirajane sighed in relief, as Elfman continued his apologies.
"But there was nothing else I could do…I had to become stronger, or I couldn't protect you or Fairy Tail…"
"It was never your fault that Lisanna died…" Mirajane smiled wistfully at her younger brother. "Back then, you were just trying desperately to protect us too…"
"I couldn't do it…Lisanna, she died…" Elfman cried, holding his sister gently.
The ivory-haired girl wrapped her arms around Elfman's torso as the mage returned to his original form. "But I'm still alive. We made a decision, didn't we? To live a full life, for her sake…"
"Neechan!" Elfman bawled. "I'm so glad you're okay!"
"Honestly, what are you standing around crying for?" Mirajane smiled in mild exasperation, planting her hands on her hips as she watched Elfman cry like a baby. "Thank you…Elfman."
Then, a sudden realisation struck her as she observed the robot crafting the Abyss Break magic circle. "The speed at which the robot is drawing the seal…it's become slower. I wonder why…"
The four elemental forbidden spell, Abyss Break…four elements, fire, water, wind earth… Mirajane gasped as she struck gold. "Elfman! How many of the Element Four are left?!"
"Huh? Uhhh…there are two left, I think?" Elfman considered his sister's strange question.
Mirajane nodded as that confirmed her suspicions about the spell. "As I thought…when you beat this guy up, the giant's movements became slower…in other words, the giant's power source is the Element Four itself! If we defeat all of the Element Four, we can prevent Abyss Break!"
"Really?" Elfman exclaimed.
Mirajane nodded firmly. "Quickly! They must be somewhere inside this giant!"
"Y-Yeah!" Elfman agreed.
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"Hmm…rain?" Gray mused, as he stared at the sudden downpour above his head. "Was it raining before?"
"Pitter-patter…" a voice intoned, attracting Gray's attention. "Yes…Juvia, the woman of rain, of the Element Four…pitter-patter…"
"Element Four…" Gray murmured, as he hauled himself up from the hole he had just climbed out of.
Juvia allowed Gray time to clamber up to stable ground, staring at the black-haired man coolly. "To think that you could defeat two of the Elements…however, Juvia and Aria are not to be taken lightly."
"Sorry…but it doesn't matter if you're a woman or even a child…I don't go easy on anybody who hurts my nakama…" Gray replied, to which Juvia blushed darkly.
The umbrella-totting girl spun around on her heels, turning her back on Gray. "Y-Yes…I have lost this battle…farewell…"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Gray exclaimed, bug-eyed. "The hell's with that?!"
Ahh…Juvia, are you somehow afflicted with illness? This pitter-patter in the chest… Juvia thought, clutching her hand above her bosom. I must make him mine…! Juvia, there's no turning back!
"Wait up, woman!" Gray shouted. "If you lost the battle, you can damn well stop this giant!"
"Water Lock!" Juvia called out, as she engulfed Gray in a bubble of water. Catching the man unawares, he was crushed painfully by the water pressure the attack exerted on foes. Juvia squeaked as she saw the pain Gray was in. "Ahh! How could Juvia wound him so! Wh-What action should I take?! I must release him at once!"
Before she could do just that, Gray turned the water to ice, and crashed his way out of the prison. Juvia watched the scene, shocked by Gray's escape from her Water Lock. He…he froze it and shattered it apart from within…Juvia was so sure that her Water Lock could never be broken…he and I…is this some kind of fate?!
"Huh…you got me good there, didn't ya?" Gray grimaced as he held his hands to a bloody wound on his abdomen. Juvia gasped in horror at the damage she had inflicted on Gray. She squeaked in embarassment as Gray proceeded to remove his shirt. W-Why…why is he removing his shirt? Ah…my heart…my heart is not prepared for this…
"Ice-Make: Lance!" Gray shouted, as a magic circle burst into existence. Ice erupted from his palms as lances of ice speared Juvia…and emerged from the other side.
The girl looked downcast as multitudes of ice passed through her body, leaving her full of holes. Yet, Juvia was unperturbed by this, seemingly unharmed. "Juvia's body…is formed from the rain itself…pitter-patter…"
"Water?" Gray shouted, astonished at the fact. Juvia bit her index finger in indecision, trying hard to reconcile her role as one of the Element Four with her newfound love for Gray. Just now…he assaulted me…this man, yes, he is an enemy! Juvia…must be strong! This is a war!
"Farewell, sweet flower of love!" Juvia shouted, as she swung her hand. "Water Slicer!"
"The hell's this woman saying?" Gray recoiled, crossing his arms as he endured the barrage of water bullets that crashed against him. Slamming his fist into his palm, he shouted his attack. "Ice-Make: Battle Axe!"
The axe of crystalline water sliced right through Juvia's midsection, and as the weapon went by, Juvia's body reformed harmlessly. Juvia stared at Gray forlornly as the man cursed the futility of his attack. "It is impossible for you to defeat Juvia…there is still time for you to be saved. I request that you bring Lucy to me. If you do so, I shall speak to our master and convince him to withdraw."
"Oi…quit saying these screwed up things. Both sides have come too far to just stop fighting now," Gray replied hotly, cracking his knuckles. "Lucy's our nakama. I won't hand her over even if I die!"
Juvia dropped her umbrella in shock as she registered Gray's words. Even if I die…love…love…a rival in love!
Gray watched in puzzlement as Juvia shed tears, and scrambled back as suddenly, rain boiled off her body. Steam rose from her as she howled at Gray. "Juvia cannot forgive this! Juvia shall never forgive Lucy!"
"Boiling water?" Gray watched in confusion. "And why is she angry at Lucy?"
Before he could react, jets of boiling hot water blasted towards him. Grunting, he tried to freeze the water, only to have to dodge by the skin of his teeth as the water roared past his skin. The sentient water then did an abrupt turn and homed in on him once again, preventing him from pulling off any of his magic. "So fast! My shaped magic can't keep up? If I don't buy myself some time…"
Gray dived through one of the openings on the roof, spinning around in the air to face the pouring skies as he protected himself from the boiling liquid with Ice-Make: Shield. To his shock, his shield was quickly breached, as a watery Juvia burst through, her face a rictus of anger. "My jealousy is boiling!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Gray cried out, as he was engulfed in hot water. "So hot…my skin is blistering…"
The water curved, catching Gray in its boiling hot embrace as it smashed through the roof, bringing Gray along with it. The black-haired mage was tossed up into the sky, cussing all the way. Roaring, Gray slammed his hand into the water that was buffeting him, and channeled his immense magic power into the water. To Juvia's shock, the water started to freeze despite being boiling hot, encasing her watery form in ice as well. The block of ice crashed to the ground, Gray smirking as he succeeded in halting Juvia's attack.
"Impossible…my boiling water…is frozen?" Juvia murmured, blushing as she felt a strong hand on her. "And not only that…"
Gray finally noticed where his hand was. The hand, once stuck deep into the jet of water, was now grabbing onto Juvia's firm right breast. "S-Sorry!"
Releasing her from the ice, Gray slid back, giving the fallen girl some space. "D-Do over!"
He released me from the ice…? Why? He's so kind! Juvia mused, falling deeper in love with Gray. "No…I can't hurt you…"
"Huh? You can't hurt me?" Gray echoed, befuddled. "You mean you know you have no chance of winning against me?"
"I'm stronger than Lucy…I can protect you," Juvia explained, before stuttering. "I…that is… uhm…I…I lo…lo…"
"Did this rain just get a lot stronger?" Gray muttered, staring up at the increasing downpour, to Juvia's consternation. This is so annoying! "Jeez…this rain is so depressing…"
He's…he's just like them… Juvia thought, her heart crushed from the careless words of Gray. Her fury reached boiling point once more, as steam rose from her form. "You're just like them!"
"Wha…what the? Fine, let's do this!" Gray exclaimed, readying himself. Juvia sobbed her heart out as she turned to water. I…I don't need love! I don't need it! Juvia is an ame-onna…I'm one of the Element Four! A Phantom mage!
The boiling water once more captured Gray, but even as the Ice-Make mage tried to freeze the water, he found out to his frustration that it was far hotter than before. The water tossed Gray to the ground, as it came around to smash against him once more, Juvia leading the watery assault. Gray shouted out his defiance as he stood his ground, a blast of ice erupting from his hands to meet the boiling water dead on. With all his might, the boiling water that Juvia was wielding began to freeze, along with all the rain droplets that were still falling upon Gray's head.
"Ice-Make: Ice Geyser!" Gray roared, as he slammed his palm to the ground.
Ice exploded from the floor of their battleground, crashing into the boiling water from below. Juvia screamed as she was engulfed by the frozen water, unable to fight the ice. Then, it shattered, leaving Juvia hanging in the air. She fell to the ground painfully, in complete disbelief at her defeat. "I…I lost?"
"How do you feel?" Gray asked, an easy smile on his face as he walked over to his fallen foe. "Have you cooled off yet?"
"Huh…the rain…it stopped," Juvia mused, as the grey clouds shifted aside to allow bright sunshine wash over the two fighters.
Gray ran a hair through his wet locks, pleased. "Hey! It finally cleared up!"
This is the clear sky? It's…beautiful… Juvia thought, a lone tear trickling from her eye. Gray grinned charmingly at Juvia. "So…do you want to continue?"
The girl blushed, and fainted dead away.
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"I've got a good idea, Happy!" Natsu exclaimed, as the partners in crime ran through the extensive hallways of Phantom Lord's building. "If we beat up Jose, this whole battle will be over, right?"
"What are you saying?" Happy scolded. "Jose's magic is as powerful as our master's! There's no way you can beat that guy, Natsu!"
"But the old man's not around! So who's gonna beat up Jose?" Natsu shot back, to Happy's dismay.
"That's right…Master and Erza aren't around…this battle, in the end, someone's going to have to take out Jose."
Natsu patted his long time friend on the head reassuringly, flashing him a big grin. "But I'm here, aren't I? Right?!"
I wonder why…even thought Master and Erza possess far more powerful magic…there's just something about Natsu that gives you hope… "Aye!"
But as they ran, they were suddenly confronted with a swirling wind before them. Halting, they watched as a chilling laughter ran out around them, while a man materialised before their very eyes. "How prideful…to think that it will be that easy to defeat Master Jose…pride shall consume the wings of flame, and when all of it is gone, all that will be left…will be the corpse of a fallen dragon."
"Huh?" Natsu muttered, puzzled by the man's cryptic words.
Happy was far more worried about the identity of the man. "Natsu…this guy's one of the Element Four!"
"I am called Aria, pinnacle of the Element Four!" the man dissolved into crazed laughter. "I have come to slay the dragon!"
"I'm not going to die to the likes of you!" Natsu yelled, as he charged the man.
Flame coated Natsu's hands, as he dashed at Aria with wild abandon. Aira laughed madly as he merely waved his hand, blowing Natsu backwards and snuffing out his flames all at one go. Undeterred, Natsu hollered as he propelled himself at insane speeds with twin jets of fire bursting from his feet, his entire body also coated in fire. The combination of Fire Dragon's Claw and Fire Dragon's Sword Horn didn't even faze Aria one bit, as the man vanished into thin air, dissolving like the morning mist when faced with the inferno that was Natsu. Blood spurted from Natsu's lips as Aria reappeared above the fire-breathing mage, smashing a crushing foot to the spine of Natsu.
Bouncing off the ground, Natsu was barely able to get his arms into a sloppy block, which was immediately broken when faced with Aria's wind-enhanced kick, sending the pink-haired mage careening backwards. Happy, hiding behind a support pillar, couldn't believe his eyes. Never before had the blue talking cat seen Natsu get beaten so emphatically by someone besides Erza, and the thought scared the cat immensely. He watched as Natsu was continually foiled by Aria's ability to disappear from the head-on attacks by Natsu, only to materialise in a position to smack Natsu around. Even the dragon slayer could tell that Aria was not being too serious; he had not pulled any moves that would befit his status as the strongest of the Element Four. It was a depressing thought.
Natsu slid back, away from a cackling Aria as he tried to regain some poise. He was bruised and battered, but certainly not out of the game. Wiping some grime from his chin, he tried his best to figure a way past Aria's impenetrable defences. Drawing inspiration from his previous battle, Natsu charged in once more, his flaming fists ready to smash the Phantom mage to bits. As Natsu slipped through the midsection of the rapidly dissolving Aria, he smashed his fire-coated hands together. "Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"
The resulting fiery explosion rocked the area. Natsu huffed, panting deeply as his attack took its toll on his body. He grinned triumphantly at the fallen body of Aria, the unconscious man lying at his feet. Laughing victoriously, Natsu was about to celebrate with a little dance when Aria suddenly disappeared, and a blast of wind smashed into Natsu from the back. The gale-force winds knocked the very breath out of Natsu's lungs, and crushed him against the wall. The heavy air pressure squeezed down on Natsu, gradually suffocating the fire mage as he was pressed face first into the wall. Just as the pink-haired dragon slayer was on the verge of unconsciousness, the battering that the wall took proved too much, and the concrete gave way.
Aria's mad laughter ended as Natsu tumbled into the next hallway, the teen gulping down deep breaths of much-needed oxygen. The Element Four member clucked his tongue, sounding dismayed. "I had expected more from the famous Salamander. It turns out your flames fuelled your ego to untenable levels, leading to an overinflated reputation. It is my pleasure to remove this prideful taint from the face of the earth!"
Aria clapped his hands together, and a massive gust of wind swirled in the massive hallway they were battling in. Natsu and Happy's eyes widened as the once invisible wind coalesced into a huge, translucent tornado that whipped Natsu's clothes and scarf about. The hurricane-force gales picked up rubble and debris from their fight and flung them in all directions, forcing Natsu and Happy to dodge the chunks of rock more than once. Aria was laughing maniacally as he stood in the eye of his manmade tornado, spouting more fanatical words about pride. Then, before Aria could activate whatever spell he had just set up, a volley of swords of all shapes and sizes besieged him.
Natsu watched, awestruck, as Erza stepped into the open, donning her Heaven's Wheel Armour. The metallic feathered wings and elaborate silver armour gave Erza the presence of a vengeful angel, as she walked towards the reappearing Aria, who had dispelled his tornado and vanished when Erza's Circle Sword had barraged him with all two hundred blades. Despite her weary appearance, she stood firm in the face of the strongest Element Four member, who only cackled in glee at the chance to fight Titania.
"It's glorious, that I can battle Titania!" Aria howled to the skies. "I shall knock you off your pedestal of arrogance, and make you face the music!"
"Natsu," Erza called out, gaining the pink-haired mage's attention. "Go on ahead without me. I'll handle this monkey."
"But I-"
"I have faith in you," Erza interrupted Natsu's protest. "It's time to let loose, Natsu. You have plenty of untapped potential left in you. Go on ahead, and find Gajeel. You should have a better handle of him than anyone else in the guild."
"I…I got it! Beat this creep for all of us!" Natsu nodded, before gesturing for Happy. "C'mon, let's go kick Gajeel's butt!"
"Aye!" the cat exclaimed, as he flew after his friend, venturing deeper into the Phantom headquarters.
Aria watched them go passively, but was alert enough to dissolve his body as Erza tried to ambush him with a few of her telekinetically controlled swords. "To attack one when he is distracted…how shameful for one as highly regarded as you, Erza Scarlet!"
"No worse than what you did to Master Makarov!" Erza roared furiously, as she charged at Aria. "Blumenblatt!"
She burst through the mist that Aria seemed to be consisted of, the man laughing at the S-class mage's ineffectual attack. Erza continued to aim a steady barrage of flying swords at Aria even as he avoided the attacks nonchalantly. Retreating a further distance away from him, Erza's swords and armour glowed brightly. Aria watched as the swords disappeared, and Erza swapped out her armour to a black number. Spikes adorned the macabre suit, as Erza's now spiked and tousled hair stuck out in all directions. In her hand was a gigantic sword, with spikes protruding out from the non-cutting edge of the massive weapon. Hefting the undoubtably heavy blade around seemed to be a breeze for the Requip Magic user, as Erza slid into a battle stance.
"This is my Purgatory Armour," Erza proclaimed confidently. "None have seen the armour and lived to tell the tale."
Aria burst into peals of insane laughter the moment Erza described one of her most powerful armours. "Aren't you Fairies proud of your policy not to kill? And yet here you are, telling me that your powerful armour has led to the deaths of all who gaze upon it? What hypocrisy! What arrogance, to lord your moral standpoints over others when you do not conform to them yourself! I shall relish your defeat!"
"Bring it on!" Erza shouted challengingly, as she dashed at Aria.
Aria cackled mockingly as he danced out of the overhead swing by Erza, not even bothering to turn to mist. Erza only smirked as her sword crashed into the ground, and from the point of impact, large gouts of hellish black fire burst from the ground in a circular pattern. The pillars of fire caught Aria by surprise, and the man screamed as his flesh melted off his bones from the hellfire. Then, suddenly, the flames vanished completely, leaving only wisps of smoke behind. Aria's laughter grew from a slow chuckle to a madman's crazed laughter, as he appeared behind Erza, walking towards her as he applauded in appreciation of her skill, appearing completely unharmed.
"You are truly powerful, Titania!" Aria lauded. "I see that I will have to remove my blindfold to meet your strength!"
Erza lifted her blade off the cratered ground, raising it in a defensive posture in front of her as Aria slowly clasped his thick fingers around his white blindfold, tugging the cloth off. The eyes were yellow, with black bars for pupils. Red linings marked the edges of the eyes, leaving the man's eyes possessing an uncanny resemblance to that of an amphibian. The man grinned wildly as he revelled in Erza's tension. "So you know of my suppression of powers! Good! Your arrogance has not made you unaware of my threat!"
"Enough talking, Aria," Erza riposted coldly. "You, who can only use a cheap trick to defeat our master, are nothing in my eyes!"
"We shall see!" Aria guffawed, clapping his hands together. "Hammer!"
A large, almost invisible fist formed almost instantly above Erza, and crashed down on her with an almighty clap. Too fast for her to dodge, she screamed as the cutting winds enveloped her body, slicing away her Purgatory Armour with terrifying ease. She dropped the huge zanbatō in her hands as the air pressure forced her to her knees.
When the harsh winds dissipated, her armour crumbled to pieces around her feet as she panted heavily, unable to get up. She was barely clinging on to consciousness, but her immense will to fight forced the edges of darkness away from her eyes. With a defiant roar, Erza's body glowed as another armour took the place of her shattered Purgatory Armour. As the glow died down, Aria could only snicker at the cheetah-print bra, cat ears and even a tail protruding from her tiny shorts.
"You resort to such embarrassing outfits in an attempt to make me laugh into submission?" Aria mocked. "You have certainly succeeded if that is your ploy! I am suitably hysterical now!"
Erza only smirked as Aria completely underestimated her Flight Armour. Too fast for his eyes to catch, Erza disappeared from view, materialising behind the startled man. Before he could even contemplate turning to mist, the crimson-haired swordswoman had already begun her attack. "Sonic Claw!"
Aria screamed, for real this time, as Erza cut him from every direction, a vindictive cut for each one of the guild members that had suffered from Phantom's attack on them. With a thunderous roar, Erza slashed the Phantom mage one final time as she dashed past the man, sliding to a halt behind him. Dust thrown up by her sheer speed settled slowly to the ground as she swivelled to face the man. However, to her surprise, she was greeted with a cloud of white smoke that took its time to clear.
The voice that sounded out from within the obscuring smoke was eerily familiar too, and Erza could feel her stomach churn in dread. "I see you've upped your Flight Armour speed…impressive, Erza. If there was anyone in Fairy Tail right now capable of hurting me on any level, it would be you."
"Ráfaga?" Erza mumbled, her eyes wide with shock as the smoke cleared, revealing the blond-haired man sans his usual crimson coat. His eyes remained the same as Aria's, a far cry from his usual cerulean orbs. Across the unarmoured parts of his body were light gashes, but none of them seemed to bother him as he addressed Erza rather pleasantly. "In the flesh, Erza. Unfortunately, I couldn't maintain the cover long enough to pretend I lost, so it seems I'm blown. Not that I'm surprised. I am facing the famous Titania, after all."
"Why…how…" Erza stammered in disbelief.
"Those are difficult questions to answer now, when Jose and Gajeel are still fit and healthy," Naruto sighed, running a hand through his spiky locks. "I can sense Lucy's life force in this building. Gajeel must have gotten to her already. But there seems to be nothing to worry about on that front. Natsu's there to handle it."
"Have you been a double agent all this while?!" Erza demanded, her anger building. "Have you been spying on Fairy Tail for Phantom? How long?"
"It's the other way around, Erza, though I doubt you'd believe me at this point," Naruto replied flippantly. "We can talk later, when this whole mess is over. You'll get your answers then."
"Fine! If you don't want to say it now, I'll just have to beat it out of you!" Erza howled.
She charged in a zigzag pattern at Naruto, confident that the man was unable to cope with her speed. After all, he was previously helpless against her Sonic Claw. Stupefaction was written all over her face as her initial slash was sidestepped with consummate ease, and an arm shot out, almost too fast for her to see and certainly too fast for her to react in time. Her momentum was her downfall as he clotheslined her, his steely arm crashing into her exposed throat without budging an inch. Spitting saliva from her lips, Erza fell on her back with a loud thump, having just knocked her own breath out of herself.
Before she could get up, her already injured body was too slow to respond to the mass of chains that spawned from the ground, bursting through the floor to wrap around Erza. The spiked tips of the chains stabbed into the ground, pinning the struggling girl to the floor securely. Then, Erza could feel her the last dregs of her magic being drained through the metal, taking her fight along with it. Naruto squatted beside the mage, impressed by her tenacity to continue clinging onto her consciousness.
"Don't worry, Erza," Naruto eye-smiled, patting the weakening girl on the head comfortingly. "When you wake up, all of this will be over. Then I'll tell everyone everything. Sleep tight."
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The magic circle glowed brightly as the giant robot prepared to activate Abyss Break. Everyone yelled for cover as they prayed for survival. Then, suddenly, it disappeared in a puff of smoke. The robot creaked and groaned as it stumbled backwards, before falling to the ground with a loud boom. Loud cheers rang through the fighting forces of Fairy Tail at the successful dismantling of Abyss Break by their crew. However, there was much displeasure to be felt by Joe, whose aura was palpable to his subordinates in the control room.
"Impossible! Those pieces of trash from Fairy Tail managed to take out the entire Element Four?!" he ranted. "Where is Gajeel?!"
"I'm right here, Master," the man called out, his voice holding an undeniable hint of smugness. "The Element Four were wiped out, you say? Well, if they got beaten up by trash, well then that just makes them trash as well, no? I guess you should have just sent me out there to take them on in the first place. Oh well, no matter. I have a present for you, Master."
"A present?" Jose echoed, staring curiously as Gajeel dropped an unconscious female body on the ground. "Lucy? But how?"
"Don't underestimate the nose of a dragon slayer," Gajeel smirked arrogantly, tapping the side of his nose. When his fellow guild members questioned whether she was dead, Gajeel merely kicked her in the stomach, causing her to burst into a fit of coughs. A malicious grin was plastered on his pierced face. "Looks like she's alive to me. Though the big guy she was with might as well be dead."
"As expected of the strongest man in my guild. Excellent work, Gajeel," Jose praised, before turning to his microphone. "All you Fairy Tail members out there. We have succeeded in capturing Lucy. Our first objective has been achieved."
He grabbed the half-awake Lucy by her hair, causing her to squeal in pain. That voice was transmitted to the speakers that pumped out of the sounds of her struggle to the rest of Fairy Tail, all incensed by Jose's treatment of Lucy. The Phantom Lord guild master, however, was thoroughly enjoying the situation. "I'm sure you all heard that…we have but a single objective remaining. To slaughter the lot of you disgusting brats."
The shades grew exponentially stronger as the undead things attacked Fairy Tail once more, pushing the already weary mages back even further. As Jose commanded his shades to crush the opposition mercilessly, he turned to Gajeel. "Keep an eye on Lucy for me. A few insects seem to have invaded our guild."
"I shall have to let them know that they will be seeing no more miracles," Jose sneered malevolently, as he stepped away from the controls of the now fallen robot.
"I will deal with all of them…myself."
Explanations
For those who were wondering, why did Makarov just waltz into a trap Naruto warned him about? Why did Naruto not just kick Jose's ass and be done with it? Why is everything going like canon? LAME!
Makarov doesn't know anything, and doesn't want to know Phantom's plans. He chose to do that because Phantom can change their plans at any moment. If he knew of Phantom's plans and tried to counter it, it could lead to deviations on Jose's part, thus rendering any further preparations useless. He can't just attack Phantom's base either, because he's not supposed to know where it's located. How will he explain off that information? He'll be compromising Naruto's identity and safety.
Jose is predictable. Fairy Tail crushed his pride, so he wants revenge. That meant that once the trap was sprung on Makarov, Jose would definitely target the rest of the guild. He had faith in his guild that they can overcome every single weapon that Jose brings out. Also, if Makarov had avoided the trap, who knows how Jose would plot his next attack? It'll be easier to fall into Phantom's trap, draw them in and then beat them on home ground, disabling all their weapons in the process.
Naruto allowed Makarov to have his way, so he adjusted his plans for that. Instead of unsealing Makarov right from the get-go, he gives the counter-seal to Mystogan, to use when the man was done cleaning up the subdivisions. Jose could react differently should Makarov recover faster than expected, and get his other mages to join in the fray. But once Mystogan made sure that everything Phantom had in reserve was taken out, then Makarov can just crush everything put in front of him by Jose, without having to worry about underhanded tricks or sneak attacks.
Let's say Makarov doesn't walk into the trap at Oak Town (which will be going against the wishes of a hundred angry Fairy Tail mages hungering for Phantom blood, by the way). On Fairy Tail's side is Makarov and Erza. He can't reliably count on anyone else, save maybe Naruto (who has a cover Makarov didn't wish to force him to blow). On Phantom's side is Jose, the Element 4 and Gajeel. That's 6 S-class mages to his 2. He won't know how strong those 5 S-class mages under Jose really are, so he has to assume they are as strong as Erza.
Even if Fairy Tail has better quality mages, sheer numbers from Phantom can overcome that quality too. And Phantom has Abyss Break and Jupiter, which Makarov doesn't know of, but are still factors. Jose has far more room to manoeuvre in this guild war, and Fairy Tail will always be on the back foot because of smaller fighting resources. Isn't it better to invite the enemy to come to your territory instead of vainly trying to anticipate their movements, using knowledge that becomes obsolete once the trap wasn't sprung?
Finally, Naruto doesn't just kick Jose's ass because he's matched almost evenly with Jose. Hence, even if he won, he'll be crushed by the rest of Phantom. Makarov doesn't want him to risk his life, hence the inaction from Naruto.
Oh, and the Naruto that went to Porlyusica's? It's a clone sent to check on Makarov and make sure the man wasn't dying because he accidentally screwed up his seal.
I hope this explanation is satisfactory. If you feel it's not good enough (either the explanation OR the story in general), then feel free not to read this story any more.