The Flaming Dragon Slayer
A/N: As Erza, Laxus, and Mirajane continue their battles with Len, Blake, and Liliana, respectively, another battle begins. Natsu and Lucy come across an opponent they never seen before. As the battles escalate, can Fairy Tail survive to fight another day?
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Fairy Tail.
*SC* = Scene Change
"Talking"
'Thoughts'
Chapter 13: Midas Appears
Natsu and Lucy stand before a person with blue hair. He is a man with short blue hair, has dark blue eyes, and has a well-built body. He wears a thin blue shirt that hugs his upper body and he wears blue pants and shoes. He also has a black strap from his shoulder to his abdomen, which serves the purpose of holding the giant sword on his back. The most noticeable feature on him is the scar on his right cheek, which begins at the middle of his right ear and ends just below the right corner of his mouth. They were simply walking towards the nearest town when this man appeared out of nowhere. For the past few minutes, Natsu and Lucy have not moved or said anything to the man. A few seconds later, Lucy decides to break the silence.
"Um, who are you?" asked Lucy.
Natsu steps in front of Lucy. For some reason, the man before him does not seem friendly. The blue-haired man yawns as he massages the back of his neck. He turns his attention to Natsu and Lucy and looks at them with a hard glare. Lucy begins to feel scared from his glare, but she tries to hold her own. On the other hand, Natsu begins to growl at the man.
"She asked you a question," said Natsu.
"My name is Midas, but that's all you need to know," said Midas. "I have a feeling you two are mages."
Midas yawns again as he begins to make his way to the two Fairy Tail mages. Immediately, Natsu steps forward and glares at the blue-haired man.
"Now, now," said Midas. "There is no need for violence. I am simply wondering why you two are so deep within this forest."
"We are trying to head home," said Lucy hoping to retain a peaceful situation.
Lucy grabs onto Natsu's right arm as if she is trying to calm him down. Natsu seems to react to her touch and does calm himself, for the moment. However, he tenses a bit as Midas approaches him again. The blue-haired mage narrows his eyes as he approaches Natsu and Lucy. The girl does not seem powerful, but the boy with the pink hair seems to have a large amount of magic. Could this boy be the person he is searching for or is he just another nobody?
"Who are you two?" asked Midas.
"I'm Natsu Dragneel and this is Lucy," said Natsu.
"Moron, don't tell him our names," said Lucy as she smacks Natsu on the head.
Midas begins to ponder on what to do. Should he leave or should he test this man?
"I challenge you Natsu to a fight," said Midas.
Immediately, Natsu slams his hands together. There is no way he will not let a challenge go.
"You're on," said Natsu.
"No," stated Lucy, but Natsu places his hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry," said Natsu.
Lucy sighs as she grabs her keys.
"So you want to fight as well," said Midas. "Sorry, but this is between him and me."
"Luce, let me handle this," said Natsu.
"Like hell I am," retorted Lucy. "We are a team and we fight together."
Natsu smiles at Lucy's enthusiasm and decides to say nothing else. All he can do is protect her during the fight.
*SC*
Mirajane lands on the ground with blood dripping from the corner of her lips. She looks at Liliana, who charges at Mirajane. The white-haired mage tries to figure out how the situation got out of hand. One moment, Liliana is on the ground nearly beaten, and the next moment, Liliana has the upper hand on her. Liliana runs towards Mirajane, who stands up and does the same thing as the white-haired recalls the last few moments.
Flashback
Slowly, Mirajane walks towards Liliana, who is trying to catch her breath. Mirajane stops and stares at Liliana with a dark glare.
"You have lost," said Mirajane. "Now surrender before I am forced to end you."
To Mirajane's surprise, Liliana begins to laugh. The laugh is dark as Liliana begins to stand, slowly.
"This fight is far from over," said Liliana.
Liliana stops for a moment. Suddenly, her neck begins to glow blue surprising Mirajane. A few seconds later, the glow stops revealing a tattoo, which is a simple line, going around her neck. The tattoo confuses Mirajane, but she decides to take action. Mirajane charges at Liliana and unleashes a powerful attack, which strikes Liliana in the head. Liliana lands on the ground with a thud.
"You've been beaten," said Mirajane.
Suddenly, Liliana smiles at Mirajane. A wicked smile puts even Mirajane on alert. Liliana grabs onto Mirajane surprising the white-haired woman. Liliana's grip tightens around Mirajane's arm as the white-haired mage tries to struggle out of it. However, nothing Mirajane does help her in the situation. Mirajane applies more strength into her body, but Liliana's grip holds strong. All of a sudden, two more Lilianas appear at Mirajane's sides. The two Lilianas grab onto Mirajane's arms and punch the Take Over mage in the stomach. Mirajane feels pain shoot through her body. One of the Lilianas hit Mirajane across the face followed by a kick to the lower back.
The Liliana on the ground suddenly stands up as if the injuries on her body no longer matters. The same Liliana jumps and punches Mirajane on the face. Suddenly, all three Lilianas disappear causing Mirajane's eyes to widen. It was all an illusion. Mirajane looks down to her body. All of her wounds are gone, but the pain remains. How is that possible? Suddenly, another Liliana appears and kicks Mirajane in the chest sending the Take Over mage soaring across the street. Mirajane hits a wall with tremendous force, but not enough to break through it. Mirajane lifts her head high enough to tell that the Liliana in front of her is real.
"Confuse, are we," said Liliana. "My illusion powers are at such a high level that anything you see feels real. It feels so real that your mind makes it real. Sure, you might not actually be injured, but your mind makes your body believe it is, thus making artificial pain."
Slowly, Mirajane begins to rise up. She clenches her chest, but her stare remains on Liliana. Her entire body aches from the pain even though the only damage she received are her earlier wounds and the recent attack.
"I might feel pain, but I am not injured," said Mirajane as she prepares to fight again.
Flashback Ends
Mirajane and Liliana clash fist to fist. The white-haired mage slams her knee into Liliana's stomach causing the green-haired woman further pain. Liliana upper cuts Mirajane and manages to create distance between her and the S-Class mage.
Mirajane lands on one knee. Her mind seems so unfocused. Ever since Liliana's last attack, Mirajane's concentration is lacking.
"My illusions are affecting your mind," said Liliana. "You seem to be having a hard time concentrating."
Mirajane raises her right hand towards the sky confusing Liliana. The Take Over mage's breathes heavily as she gathers magic around her right hand. A few seconds later, darkness magic begins to form in a sphere on the palm of her hand. Liliana's eyes widen as she slams her hands together.
"Satanic Blast!" shouted Mirajane unleashing a powerful beam of darkness towards Liliana.
The attack hits Liliana, but Mirajane knows not to trust her own eyes.
"Missed," said Liliana as she lands a strong punch to Mirajane's face.
Mirajane lands on the ground as Liliana appears above her. Liliana swings her right leg down and slams into Mirajane's stomach. Afterwards, Liliana unleashes a series of attack upon Mirajane. The white-haired mage attempts to push off Liliana, but the green-haired woman does not give Mirajane the chance. A few seconds later, Mirajane manages to free her right arm as she infuses it with magic.
"Evil Push!" shouted Mirajane unleashing a powerful darkness attack against Liliana.
The force of the attack hits Liliana not giving the woman the chance to create any illusions. Liliana lands on the ground in pain, as she tries to recover before Mirajane has the chance to counterattack. Meanwhile, Mirajane is unable to move as pain runs through her body. She tries to catch her breath as she slowly moves her arms trying to regain feeling in them. Liliana begins to stand up while holding her stomach. She did not expect Mirajane to give her such a challenge. As her pain in her abdomen lessens, Liliana turns her attention to Mirajane, who has yet to move.
"You seem to be in trouble," said Liliana.
Mirajane tries to move, but she continues to find her body unresponsive. The damage she took from Liliana's previous attack has left her unable to move. Liliana appears in front of Mirajane, grabs Mirajane's throat, and lifts the Fairy Tail mage off the ground.
"Ready to die," said Liliana. "Normally, I will use my katana, but since you destroyed it. I have to find another way."
Liliana turns around noticing a building nearby. The green-haired mage smirks as she begins adding power to her arm.
"Let's see your body survive when you are on low magic," said Liliana as she throws Mirajane into the building.
Mirajane goes through the wall and then lands onto the floor of the kitchen. During her fall, she slammed into a gas pipe causing it to burst open releasing the gas. Mirajane tries to move again, but she is still unable to move her body.
'No,' thought Mirajane. 'I have to move.'
Mirajane turns her attention from the ceiling to her right hand. She stares at her hand as she tries to move it hoping her hand responds. Slowly, Mirajane manages to move a single finger. Meanwhile, Liliana notices the broken gas pipe and begins to smirk. She would rather not use any more of her magic at this point. Liliana digs into her left pocket and then takes out a fire match. She smirks again as she begins to make her distance from the building.
"Goodbye fairy," said Liliana before lighting the match and throwing it to the building.
Mirajane continues to attempt to move her hand and manages to get more feeling into it. She manages to move her arms, but before she has the chance to move, a fire match lands near her causing the mage's eyes to widen. From the distance, a large explosion occurs as Liliana laughs while walking away.
*SC*
Len appears above Erza and swings his sand sword against Erza's sword. The brown-haired man smirks as he continues to apply more strength into his attacks. Erza cannot believe her steel is not cutting through the sand. Furthermore, Len's strength tripled a few minutes ago. Where does he get this strength? How did he get it? The scarlet-haired woman jumps back and then flies up. However, Len follows her movements and uses his sand to lift himself up into air. Len and Erza clash again unleashing a series of attacks, but neither fighter is able to gain the advantage. Suddenly, Len kicks Erza down to the ground. Len lands the ground soon after and then charges at the fallen Erza. However, Erza manages to stand back up blocking Len's sword. Sand begins to surround Erza from her feet forcing the scarlet-haired woman to jump away. However, Len uses this to his advantage. Len charges at Erza while summoning sand to cut off Erza's retreat.
Erza hits the sand, which begins to envelop her. The Requip mage tries to move out of the sand, but the hard grip keeps her still. Len appears in front of Erza and swings his sand sword across her chest and stomach. The pressure of the attack cracks Erza's armor while cutting through her exposed skin. Len smirks as he swings his sword again slashing Erza again. Len repeats his movement in a downward motion cutting Erza once again. Repeatedly, Len continues to slash Erza causing pieces of her armor to crumble and blood to splatter onto the sand. Erza's head lowers as her hair covers her face. Len continues to smirk as he grabs Erza's face. He raises her head and then looks into her eyes.
"You seem to be having trouble," said Len. "What happened? Only a few minutes ago you were winning. Now, you are losing to me. Perhaps, you are not as strong as you thought you were."
Erza tries moving again only for Len to punch her in the stomach. Erza groans as she coughs due to the attack.
"Foolish fairy," said Len as he forms another sword on his right hand.
Len swings his hand forward, but his attack never connects with Erza. The scarlet-haired woman finally manages to break through his sand, but this result in cuts and bruises on her wrist including broken armor. Erza kicks Len in the face sending the man sliding across the ground. The moment Erza lands she changes armor again. The scarlet-haired woman enters her Lightning Empress Armor as a long spear forms in her hands. Erza continues to breathe heavily as she charges at Len.
'My wounds are getting too much for me,' thought Erza. 'I have to finish this as soon as possible.'
"Lightning Beam!" shouted Erza.
Erza sends a wave of lighting towards Len, who uses his sand to protect himself. However, the lightning breaks through the sand surprising Len. The brown-haired man barely manages to dodge the attack, but Erza does not allow Len to rest. Erza swings her spear and slams it against Len sending the man straight into the ground. The Fairy Tail mage jumps back and points her spear towards the sand mage.
"Lightning Cyclotron!" shouted Erza unleashing a stronger version of her Lightning Beam.
The sand hits the sand below her causing a large explosion to occur. Unfortunately, sand erupts from the ground below her as she lands onto it. The sand envelops her causing Erza to attempt to jump away. However, Len appears near Erza with sand around his body.
"What…?" questioned Erza.
Erza turns her attention to the destroyed area realizing the Len below is a fake.
"You should know to never turn her back on an enemy," said Len as he strikes Erza again with his sand sword.
However, his sword does less damage as Erza raises her spear towards Len.
"Lightning Beam!" shouted Erza.
Len jumps to the right avoiding the attack and then slams his hands onto the ground.
"Sand Volcano!" shouted Len.
The area around Erza begins to move causing the woman to lose balance for the moment. Unfortunately, for Erza, this moment does not last long as the sand erupts from the ground and then encases Erza. The scarlet-haired woman attempts to break free from the sand, but Len does not allow her the chance to move.
"Sand Blaster!" shouted Len.
Len unleashes a wave of lightning that strikes Erza in the chest. Erza shouts in pain as she finally manages to break through the sand and rolls away from the sand blast. Erza lands on her knees while covering her chest. Unfortunately, the force of the impact broke through Erza's armor. While Erza tries to stand, she reveals the missing piece of her chest armor.
"You seem to be in pain," said Len as he walks towards Erza.
Len raises his hands towards the sky causing a large amount of sand to appear around him and Erza. Erza tightens her hold on her spear as she turns her attention back to Len. She knows she has to finish him off before he does something. Erza charges at Len, who moves his hands downward. The sand comes crashing down blocking Erza's view of Len. She stops her advance as she waits for any signs of her opponent. Suddenly, a spear made of sand flies by Erza, who barely manages to dodge the attack. However, the movement causes Erza pain due to her earlier injuries. Unfortunately, this pain causes Erza to make a mistake making her nearly trip. This movement is all Len needed to capitalize on the scarlet-haired woman.
Len slashes Erza on her back breaking her armor. He appears again and strikes her chest again causing her a major wound. Len appears again with two sand swords and strikes Erza on her left arm and back. Erza attempts to block Len, but the sand covers her vision stopping Erza from counterattacking. Furthermore, her magic is running low meaning she will not have the chance to use another armor type. Suddenly, Len clotheslines Erza to the ground as he jumps back shortly after. He raises his hand towards the sky causing the sand to follow his movements. The sand begins to concentrate at one point, but still wide enough to hit at least three people. Erza opens her eyes and notices the concentrated sand above her. She tries to move, but she finds her body unresponsive. She breathes in heavily and begins to gather her remaining magic.
'If I can change into one of the other armors,' thought Erza.
"Sand Smasher!" shouted Len as he lowers his hands again.
The entire body of sand rushes down on Erza, who closes her eyes at the last moment. The pressure of the attack causes the ground to crack open as a crater begins to form at the point of impact. Len smirks as he clears the area. He notices the crater with sand filled inside. Nobody has survived that attack before. He turns around and begins to walk away. Right now, he needs to make sure nobody else disturbs his master.
*SC*
The only sounds remaining in the area are the sounds of battle and people screaming. Shadow Monsters ravage the city. However, at a certain area of Oshibana Town, there is dead silence. For the past few minutes, it has been quiet after the event of a large explosion between fire and lightning. However, such quietness does not last. A single person makes his way out of the rubble. He coughs due to the large amount of dust in the air. He looks around wondering if any other signs of life exist. So far, it has been quiet. Only the sounds of faraway battles of screams occur to this man's ears. He rubs the dirt off his blonde hair as he removes the remaining rubble around him. He walks out into the open searching for any signs of his opponent, but so far, there is none. He hopes to have a victory against his enemy, so he can help Erza and Mirajane. However, before he heads anywhere, he needs to make sure his enemy is dead.
Laxus moves forward keeping a close eye to his surroundings. The last thing he needs is for the enemy to ambush him. Just as Laxus takes another step, he stops all movements. He looks around searching for the source of a recent noise. What was that noise? Was it a person? If so, is it friendly or enemy? If not, is it just rubble breaking apart? Before Laxus can do anything, he needs to make sure what he is dealing with. Suddenly, Laxus hears a groan. This groan is definitely male. Perhaps it is Blake. If it is Blake, Laxus needs to take advantage now before the red-haired man notices him. However, if Laxus moves too quickly, he might alert the man.
Laxus turns the corner of the street as he notices a familiar set of red hair. Blake moves aside a large pile of rubble as he stands up. The redhead rubs his shoulders while taking off loose dirt. Laxus takes this chance to catch Blake off guard. The blonde mage charges forward with lightning forming around his hands.
"Thunder Bullets!" shouted Laxus.
Numerous lightning attacks approach Blake, who notices the attacks. Blake manages to roll out of the way, but the attacks explosion causing Blake to slam into the ground. Blake jumps up, but the moment he does, a hand filled with lightning strikes him in the face.
"Lightning Punch!" shouted Laxus.
Laxus turns his body in lightning as he appears above Blake. Once again, Laxus forms lightning in his hands as he prepares for another attack. However, Blake opens his eyes and then he slams his hands onto the ground.
"Flame Pillar!" shouted Blake.
Blake unleashes a wave of fire, which consumes him and erupts from the ground. Unfortunately, Laxus does not have the chance to move as the attack hits him. Blake uses this chance to strike Laxus again. He covers his hands with fire as he rushes towards Laxus, who lands on the ground with fire surrounding him. Blake strikes Laxus in the stomach and then unleashes a barrage of fire attacks. The entire area begins shaking due to Blake raw strength. Laxus is unable to move as the fire envelops him causing multiple burn marks.
"Fire Barrage!" shouted Blake as he jumps away from Laxus and unleashes another wave of fireballs.
Laxus turns into lightning allowing him to dodge the fireballs with ease. However, the moment he rematerializes, a wall of ire bursts around him. Suddenly, Blake appears to Laxus' left side and unleashes a powerful fire covered punch towards Laxus' face. Laxus slides across the ground as Blake follows Laxus closely.
"Double Flamethrowers!" yelled Blake.
Blake unleashes two streams of fire pillars from his hands towards Laxus. Laxus jumps to the right avoiding the pillar of flames, but Blake moves his arms causing the fire to follow Laxus. The blonde mage continues to move around trying to avoid the attacks.
Laxus tries to dodge the attacks, but he soon feels the heat come closer to him. Suddenly, the fire stops causing Laxus to turn his attention to Blake. Blake breathes heavily as he stares at Laxus.
'Perhaps, he wasted too much magic on his earlier attack,' thought Laxus.
Laxus charges forward with lightning surrounding his hands. Blake notices Laxus approaching him and prepares to defend himself. A few seconds later, Laxus slams his fist into Blake's stomach sending a wave of electricity through Blake's body. Laxus upper cuts Blake's jaw and follows the attack with a lightning infused kick. The force of the attack sends Blake straight into a building. Laxus rushes forward in an attempt to take advantage. However, a wall of fire interrupts his chance. Blake charges out of the fire and punch Laxus across the face sending the man away from him. The Fairy Tail mage regains his composure as he stares at Blake. A moment ago, he was losing his magic. Now, he seems to have regained a decent amount of it.
"You seem surprised," said Blake. "Let's just say that it is a special ability to regain Eternano at a faster rate."
Blake charges at Laxus and unleashes a wave of fire from his hands forcing Laxus to dodge the attack. The blonde mage counter attacks with a wave of lightning. However, he also misses allowing Blake to counter with a ball of fire. Back and forth, Laxus and Blake unleash waves of lightning and fire. The two mages clash as lightning and fire erupts from their bodies. Laxus launches a powerful punch to Blake's stomach sending the man to his knees. However, Blake unleashes a wave of fire burning Laxus. Laxus slams his elbow into Blake's head stopping the flames for the moment. The lightning dragon slayer grabs Blake by the arms and begins to swing him around. He releases the redhead man causing Blake to slam into a wall. Suddenly, fire erupts from the building as flames shoot towards Laxus. The blonde mage dodges the attack as he turns his attention to Blake. Blake remains standing while smirking.
"You stand no chance against me!" shouted Blake. "You will never defeat me!"
"Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd!" shouted Laxus.
Laxus sends a halberd made of lightning towards Blake. The powerful lightning attack explodes the moment it makes contact. However, Laxus does not feel like he has won. Suddenly, he hears a noise behind him causing Laxus to turn around. Laxus' eyes widen the moment he notices Blake behind him.
"Fire Shot!" shouted Blake launching a fireball at point blank range.
The attack hits Laxus sending him across the street, but before he hits anything, Blake appears and kicks Laxus in the stomach.
'I'm nearly out of magic,' thought Laxus. 'I might only have enough for one attack.'
Blake gathers more fire in his right palm and then points it towards Laxus.
"Enjoy your afterlife!" laughed Blake as the ball of fire increases. "Fire Shot Maximum!"
Blake fires a massive ball of fire that disintegrates anything within its path. Laxus narrows his eyes as the fireball nears him. He closes his eyes while placing his hands on the ground. Soon, the fireball reaches him and then sets off in a massive explosion destroying five nearby buildings.
"This was a grand fight, now to go searching for another!" exclaimed Blake in excitement.
*SC*
As the shadow monsters continue their rampage on Oshibana Town, two figures travel through the city's town hall. They travel through numerous records of Oshibana Town's past hoping to find any sign of information regarding their mission. Perhaps a clue exists that will help their situation.
"Have you found anything Alvena?" asked Marek as he throws another book.
"No Marek-sama," said Alvena. "For some reason there is nothing in this blasting town. At least the shadow monsters could have found something, but they have not."
Marek searches another book and reads a few chapters regarding rare gemstones. Suddenly, something catches his eye. He looks more into the few paragraphs and notices it describing a simple red crystal that glows occasionally. Marek decides to check the year of the book and realizes it is very old.
'This information might be it,' thought Marek. 'He told me the crystal was lost a long time ago.'
Marek returns to the page regarding the information of the crystal and reads its previous known location.
'Magnolia Town,' thought Marek.
Marek turns his attention to Alvena as she continues searching.
"Alvena, we're going," said Marek. "Contact the others."
"Yes, Marek-sama," replied Alvena.
*SC*
Gray, Wendy, Happy, and Carla return to Fairy Tail. Their journey back was not a pleasant due to their heavy hearts. They have no idea what happened to Natsu and Lucy, but the best they can do is hope for their survival. The team stops at the front door of the guild. Gray grabs the doors and opens it slowly. Once he does, Gray and the rest of the team enters the guild immediately recognizing the noisy guild. Elfman and Lisanna turn their attention to the guild door realizing Gray, Wendy, Happy, and Carla. They notice Natsu and Lucy is gone, but they do not ponder on it.
"Gray welcome back!" shouted Elfman.
The rest of the guild hears Elfman's voice causing them to turn towards him and then follow his gaze.
"Gray-sama!" exclaimed Juvia as she approaches Gray. "Juvia is glad you are back. How was your mission?"
Gray does not respond causing Juvia to worry about it.
"Is everything all right?" asked Juvia.
The rest of the guild notice Gray's solemn mood. Levy approaches Wendy hoping to get an answer out of her.
"Where's Lu-chan and Natsu?" asked Levy.
"W-Well," started Wendy. "We lost them in the battle."
The entire guild remains silent at the news. Shock runs through all of them, they are unable to believe the news, but Wendy's crying face confirms it.
"What happened?" asked Makarov, who approaches Gray.
Gray sighs as he begins to explain the mission. He tells Makarov about the dragons similar to the monsters from the previous conflict. The entire guild remains silent during the conversation, but inside worry runs through them. Not only are Natsu and Lucy missing, but also those creatures are appearing in the form of dragons.
"You've got to be kidding me," said Macao. "Now those creatures are appearing like dragons. What are we supposed to do?"
Makarov sighs as he rubs his head. The situation is really getting out of hand. He looks at his children as prepares to tell them his plan. However, Jet comes running down the guild interrupting Makarov's sentence.
"Master, our communication lacrima," said Jet.
"What's wrong?" asked Makarov.
"Oshibana Town is under attack," said Jet. "Erza, Mirajane, and Laxus have been in battle, but I haven't received any information about the outcome of the battles."
Makarov knows the situation just got worse. His guild members cannot take simple missions without crossing the monsters.
"I know Natsu and Lucy are alive," said Makarov. "For now, all we can do is concentrate on Oshibana Town."
"Master, let me go back and search for Natsu. I know I shouldn't have left, but there was no way we could fight in our condition," said Gray.
"For now rest," said Makarov. "I will organize a group to go to Oshibana Town and a group to go look for Natsu and Lucy."
*SC*
"Fire Dragon's Roar!" shouted Natsu unleashing a stream of fire at Midas.
Midas dodges the attack with ease as he continues to stare at Natsu. The level of power is low. Perhaps he is wrong about the pink-haired man.
"Is this all of your strength?" asked Midas.
Natsu grunts in annoyance as he charges at Midas. He swings his fists at Midas, but the blue-haired man continuously dodges the attacks. Natsu covers his hands with fire as he tries to hit Midas.
"Fire Dragon's Wings Attack!" shouted Natsu.
Natsu unleashes two waves of fire from his arms. Midas dodges the attacks and then appears behind the fire dragon slayer.
"What…?" asked a surprised Natsu.
With a single punch, Midas sends Natsu soaring through three trees causing each tree to fall over and crash onto the ground. Lucy screams out Natsu's name with worry in her face and voice. Immediately, she grabs onto her keys and summons her celestial spirits.
"Open the Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!" shouted Lucy.
Virgo appears and stands before Lucy. The maid turns to Lucy for the moment.
"It is time for my punishment?" asked Virgo.
"No," replied Lucy. "Just help fight the blue-haired man."
Virgo charges at Midas and swings her leg. Her leg slams into Midas, but the kick hits the palm of his hands.
"So, this is a celestial spirit," said Midas. "It is not often I come across one."
Virgo tries to break free from Midas' grip, but the blue-haired man does not allow the celestial spirit to escape. Suddenly, Natsu appears behind Midas and lands a powerful fire attack.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" shouted Natsu.
Natsu's attack connects with Midas' back forcing the blue-haired to release the maid while the fire dragon slayer grabs onto Midas' left arm and begins to swing the man. The fire mage slams Midas into the ground and then jumps back as he slams his hands together.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!" yelled Natsu.
The fire attack hits Midas causing a massive explosion. Natsu moves back waiting for the flames to stop, but he does not need to wait long as Midas appears from the fire while his clothes remain untouched.
"What the…," started Natsu, but Midas appears in front of him and slams his elbow into the face of the dragon slayer.
Midas jumps away as Lucy runs towards Natsu. Blood drips from Natsu's nose, but he simply wipes it away. Natsu stands up with Lucy helping him.
"Is this it?" asked Midas as he yawns. "Fine, I will finish this quickly."
Midas' right hand reaches to his back. He grabs the hilt of the giant sword and then in one swift movement, he draws out the sword. The hilt of the sword is blue while the blade is silver. Natsu and Lucy stand together as they prepare to fight against this man.
*SC*
Laxus groans as he exits a building. He managed to survive Blake's attack by using the last of his magic to transform into lightning and move out of the way. Laxus coughs as he tries to stand. His upper body no longer has his clothes, but he does have multiple wounds. The blonde mage manages to get into the open away from any burning buildings, but he does not get too far. His body fails him as he lands onto the ground while his vision begins to blur. This whole mission went to dust. He did not expect his opponents to be so strong. Suddenly, he hears footsteps approach him. Laxus turns his head towards the source of the footsteps to see the shoes of a woman.
"Laxus, the lightning dragon slayer of Fairy Tail," said a purple-haired woman. "You seem to be in a rough shape."
Laxus tries to see who the person is, but his blurring vision does not allow him.
"Who are you?" asked Laxus.
"My name is Ultear, if you haven't heard about me," said Ultear.
The time mage waits for a response, but she does not hear anything. She realizes Laxus is no longer conscious and sighs at the man.
"I guess I should get you somewhere safe," said Ultear.
*SC*
Mirajane crawls out of the rubble, no longer in her Satan Soul form. There are numerous burn marks on her body, but none of them are life threatening. She groans in pain as she tries to move, but she ends up falling back down to the ground. However, Mirajane is able to push her body over allowing her to see the sky above. She breathes heavily as she turns her head to see if anybody is in the area. However, it seems empty for the moment.
The white-haired mage tries to sit up, but she finds her body unresponsive. Mirajane sighs as she looks around her. Flames envelope the remaining buildings, numerous craters form on the streets, light poles are on the ground, and the smoke covers the landscape. How could the situation gone so badly? She is one of the S-Class mages of Fairy Tail and she failed to defeat her opponent. Mirajane hears footsteps causing her to turn her head towards the source. She looks up and notices a woman with pink hair and green eyes stare down at her.
"Hello, my name is…," started the pink-haired woman.
"Meredy," interrupted Mirajane.
"How?" questioned Meredy.
"Juvia told me about you on Tenrou Island," said Mirajane. "The only other person I can think of who has pink hair is Natsu. Juvia told me a bit about your description."
"I see," said Meredy.
"What are you doing here?" asked Mirajane as her eyes begin to close.
"To get you to safety," replied Meredy.
"All right," said Mirajane as she loses consciousness.
*SC*
A crater filled with sand begins to move. A single finger pops out of the sand followed by the rest of the finger and then a hand. Soon, the head of the person shoots out of the sand. The scarlet-haired person begins to cough trying to catch in a deep breath. Erza Scarlet has survived the attack by Len. She requiped her Adamantine Armor at the last second. However, it drained the remainder of her magic. Erza tries to struggle out of the sand before she loses her armor. Luckily, she manages to take her entire body out of the sand just as she returns to her regular armor. The scarlet-haired mage rolls away from the crater of sand and stops near large chuck of debris. She breathes heavily as her vision begins to fade. Once again, she lost a fight against Marek's followers. Twice, her pride suffers another defeat. Suddenly, somebody hovers over her. She narrows her eyes trying to stay awake and see who the person is.
"Erza, are you okay?" asked a familiar voice.
Immediately, Erza recognizes the voice causing her to tear up.
"J-Jellal," said Erza.
"I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner, but you did well," said Jellal. "Rest and I'll take you somewhere safe."
*SC*
Natsu tries to land a hit on Midas, but the blue-haired man simply ducks causing Natsu to fly over him. The fire dragon slayer slams into the ground causing him pain on his face.
"I thought my shoe was untied," said Midas. "Oh well."
Midas turns his attention to Natsu with a lazy expression. He tightens the grip on his sword and charges at Natsu. Natsu stands up only for Midas to kick him down. The blue-haired man raises his sword and begins to swing it down only for a person to kick him. Virgo dives into the ground while Lucy runs to Natsu and tries to help him.
"Natsu, are you okay?" asked Lucy.
"Yeah," said Natsu as he wipes blood from his lips.
Midas slams his giant sword into the ground causing the ground to crack open revealing Virgo. Instantly, Midas appears behind the celestial spirit and slashes her across the back.
"Forgive me, Lucy-sama," said Virgo as she returns to her world.
"Open the Gate of the Lion! Loke!" shouted Lucy.
Loke opens in a flash as he keeps his eyes on Midas.
"Never a chance to rest," said Loke.
"Regulus Impact!" shouted Loke unleashing a powerful light in the form of a lion's head.
Midas dodges the attack while keeping his lazy expression.
"Perhaps I am wrong," said Midas staring at Loke and Natsu.
"What are you talking about?" inquired Natsu as he runs towards Midas. "With a flame on the right hand and a flame on the left hand. When you combine the flames together. Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"
Natsu slams his hands together and sends a powerful flame towards Midas. The moment it hits Midas, it causes a massive explosion.
"Regulus Blast!" shouted Loke shooting a powerful blast of light.
Loke's attack also makes contact with Midas causing a secondary explosion. Lucy watches the battle hoping the two attacks were enough to finish the fight. However, her hopes come crashing down when Midas appears unharmed by the two attacks.
"That can't be," said Loke in a surprised tone.
Natsu begins to growl. It seems like he will have to take this fight to another level if he wants to win. Suddenly, Midas appears and strikes Loke down. The celestial spirit shouts in pain, but he manages to stay in the fight.
"Perhaps, you are not who I am looking for," said Midas.
Suddenly, a whip wraps around Midas' left arm.
"Leave them alone!" exclaimed Lucy as she tries to pull on Midas.
"You must be joking," said Midas.
Midas swings his left arm forward sending Lucy with it. The blue-haired man turns around grabs Lucy's neck and begins to choke her.
"Listen, I don't want to fight you," said Midas. "Calm down and I'll let you go."
Suddenly, Natsu appears and slams Midas with his fist. This attack causes Midas to release Lucy as Natsu manages to catch her.
"Are you okay Luce?" asked Natsu.
"Yeah," replied Lucy.
Fire erupts from Natsu's body as he charges at Midas. Loke stands back up and aids Natsu.
"Open the Gate of the Twins! Gemini and Mini!" shouted Lucy.
Gemini appears in a flash of light as they turn their attention towards Lucy. Lucy whispers something to Gemini causing them to dance around her. Meanwhile, Natsu and Loke attack Midas head on. The blue-haired man dodges the attacks and then slashes Natsu across the chest causing the fire dragon slayer to grunt in pain. Midas pushes Natsu to the ground while raising his hand towards Loke.
"Shark Blaster!" shouted Midas.
A bright light forms in the hands of Midas, which takes the shape of a shark's head. Shortly after, Midas shoots the blast and hits Loke directly. The ball of energy explodes causing major damage to Loke. Then, Midas turns his attention to Natsu and slams his foot into the chest of Natsu. Midas raises his giant sword and aims it at Natsu's throat.
"Survey the Heaven. Open the Heaven. All the stars, far and wide. Show me thy appearance. With such shine. O Tetrabiblos. I am the ruler of the stars. Aspect became complete. Open thy malevolent gate," chanted Lucy.
Gemini transforms into Lucy and aids the celestial mage in the battle. They gather necessary amount of magic while several orbs appear around the area causing Midas to turns his attention towards Lucy.
'That attack,' thought Midas. 'Perhaps I have the wrong person.'
Suddenly, Loke appears in torn clothes as he knees Midas in the chin causing the blue-haired man to take a few steps back. Instantly, Loke grabs Natsu and jumps out of the line of fire.
"O 88 Stars of the heaven…Shine! Urano Metria!" shouted Lucy and Gemini.
Midas shakes his head while turning his attention back to Lucy and Gemini. The moment he does, Lucy and Gemini fire their attack towards Midas. The blue-haired man narrows his eyes as he places his giant sword in front of him. He holds the sword's hilt in his right hand while holding the tip of the sword with his left and. A few seconds later, Lucy's attack hits Midas directly causing a massive explosion to occur destroying the area and creating a large amount of dust. Natsu and Loke land near Lucy as she breathes heavily. Despite the help of Gemini, the attack still takes a large amount of magic to perform.
"Not bad," said a voice within the cloud of dust.
Natsu, Lucy, Loke, and Gemini's eyes widen as the voice speaks. Soon, the dust clears revealing a nearly unharmed Midas. Only the blue-haired man's right and left arm clothing has received damage. There are a few burnt marks, but overall, he is unharmed.
"What happened?" asked Lucy in surprise. "It hit him didn't it?"
Loke recovers from his shock. He did not expect the man to survive the powerful attack. Who is he? Midas lowers his blade towards the ground as he turns his attention to Lucy.
"I thought the attack was going to be stronger than that," said Midas. "However, it does show the amount of power you have, but it is not what I am looking for."
"What do you mean?" asked Lucy, but Midas ignores her question.
Midas begins to walking towards Lucy causing Natsu and Loke to run to her aid.
"You said this is between me and you!" shouted Natsu.
"Yeah, you're right, but I need someone strong. Don't worry, I don't want to kill anyone. Just looking for some help," said Midas.
"Then I'll show you someone strong," said Natsu as he enters his Lightning Flame Dragon Mode.
Instantly, Natsu appears in front of Midas with fire and lightning covering his body.
"Lightning Flame Dragon's Fist!" shouted Natsu unleashing a stronger punch filled with fire and lightning.
Natsu slams his right fist straight into the chest of Midas. The fire dragon slayer jumps back as he prepares to launch his next attack. Natsu places his hands in the front of his mouth.
"Lightning Flame Dragon's Roar!" yelled Natsu.
Natsu's attack hits Midas directly, which results in a major explosion. The pink-haired mage jumps back as he exits his Lightning Flame Dragon Mode. He lands on his left knee while holding onto his right knee. Lucy and Loke approach Natsu, but they stop in their tracks the moment they see a dark figure covered by the smoke of the attack. Natsu also notices the figure as his eyes widen.
"Is that it?" asked Midas as he walks forward. "All that light show and still not the power I am looking for."
Instantly, Midas appears in front of Natsu. He raises his giant sword and swings his downward. He slashes Natsu across the chest, causing a small scratch, but enough to draw blood. Loke charges forward to aid Natsu, but to his surprise, Midas grabs him by the neck and then slams him into the ground. The tremendous force causes the ground beneath Loke to crack. The celestial spirit tries to keep consciousness, but he fails to do so. Soon, Loke returns to the celestial world leaving Lucy the only person standing.
Midas appears behind Lucy with amazing speed. The celestial mage turns around only for Midas to slam his knee into her stomach. Then, Midas punches her in the stomach again causing Lucy to fall towards the ground in pain. Lucy coughs as she tries to stay conscious. Midas raises his giant sword again and swings it downward. Lucy closes her eyes waiting for the blow, but instead she feels something soft. Lucy opens her eyes and realizes Natsu is covering her.
"I appraise your courage," said Midas as his blade remains near Natsu's back.
Natsu manages to use the remaining of his strength to cover Lucy and is willing to take the hit for her.
"Natsu," said Lucy.
Midas decides to put his weapon away since he no longer sees a reason to fight. Suddenly, he turns around looking at the far distance.
"So, you are here," said Midas to himself as he turns back to Natsu and Lucy. "I am sorry for attacking you, but I am looking for a certain person. I sensed strong magic from both of you, but it is not what I am looking for. Listen, this is for the both of you."
Midas grabs a cloth and throws it towards Lucy and Natsu. He looks back on the injured mages and yawns again. It was such a boring fight. Midas takes running off before anybody else makes an appearance. Lucy pushes Natsu off her while ignoring her own pain. She notices multiple wounds on Natsu, as she remembers Natsu's actions causing tears in her eyes. Natsu was about to put his own body in danger to save her.
"Are you okay?" asked Natsu.
Lucy's tears continue to run down her cheeks. She places a hand on Natsu's cheek as she also reaches for the cloth. She opens the cloth with her hand revealing a large amount of bandages. She is not medic, but the least she can do is help Natsu.
"Yes I am," said Lucy. "Just wait a bit and I'll treat some of your wounds."
Fear runs through Lucy. This day could have been so much worse. Who was that man? As of now, she must take care of Natsu. Her heart beats heavily since she knew she could do only little for her friend.
"L-Lucy, I…," started Natsu, but he loses consciousness before finishing his sentence.
Natsu's unconsciousness causes Lucy to panic. She looks through the cloth taking out the necessary equipment for Natsu. She checks on Natsu and realizes that he is only unconscious. Suddenly, she hears footsteps causing her to turn around and face the person. She will protect Natsu with her life. However, she is relieved the moment she realizes who the person is.
"O-Orion," said Lucy.
"Don't worry," said the elder man. "I will take you both home. We are closer to Magnolia. Rest now, I'll keep both of you alive."
Lucy's vision begins to fade, but she decides to put her trust in Orion. It seems like she and Natsu used up too much magic to the point of exhaustion. Orion watches Lucy lose consciousness as he turns his attention to Natsu.
"Who was here? No matter I need to heal these two, but not here," said Orion. "The last thing I need to be caught off guard."
*SC*
A/N: This chapter took me days to complete. So far, it is the longest chapter of the story and I have not even reached the halfway point of the story. Anyhow, I did enjoy writing this chapter. I tried adding as much as I could within the fighting scenes, but I am trying to save the best during the final battles. Regardless, thanks for reading and please review.