Well, here we are. Chapter 13. This chapter has a slight twist in it when it comes to battles, so do let me know whether I did a good job or ruined it. Hit me with them reviews!
Anyway, enjoy the chapter!
Tower of Heaven, Fourth Floor
Erza and Laxus finally arrived at their destination, their opponents still sprawled on their back. The way down took them much longer than they expected, mostly because of their baggage and the recent outburst.
"Are they still here?" asked Erza.
Laxus sniffed the air. "Yeah. We're close."
The pair walked through the battle scarred floor, until they made it to the main area. The S-Class mages stopped and dropped their luggage, Laxus being slightly less gentle than Erza.
"Lucy! Juvia!" called out the knight.
With the corner of the eye she stopped a blonde head peeking out from behind the debris, with Lucy's uncertain face checking out the owner of the voice. At the sight of the knight, the girl beamed and ran out from behind her hiding, Juvia following her in suit shortly afterwards.
"Erza! You're all right!" Lucy threw herself at the redhead with way too much force, clutching her in a tight hug. The knight groaned from pain, Lucy's warm hug causing more damage to her already sore body.
"Keep hugging me like that and I won't be." gasped Erza with a weak laugh.
Lucy quickly freed Erza from her grasp, which Erza greeted with a sigh of relief. "Sorry! I was just really worried about..."
Her eyes then fell on Laxus, who was currently sitting on the ground behind Erza, Juvia already by his side. He was practically soaked in his own blood, his body wrapped in multiple cloths meant to stop the bleeding. It was a miracle he could even walk.
The Dragon Slayer met her horrified and worried gaze with his own. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine." he waved his hand at her.
Lucy wasn't entirely convinced, but decided to drop the subject, much to Laxus' relief. She then blinked and looked at Erza, realisation kicking in.
"Erza, these clothes..."
Erza blinked and looked down. "Ah. Don't worry about it, this is-"
"Are you okay?" Lucy asked with a concerned tone and quickly grabbed a hold of her hands, her own trying to cover the redhead's wrists. Erza smiled at the gesture and took a hold of Lucy's hands, giving them a light squeeze.
"Never better." she replied with a smile. "I'll tell you all about it when we get out of here. It's a long story."
The blonde searched through Erza's eyes, as if looking for any hints of a lie, something she was already used to, but couldn't spot anything out of the ordinary. She smiled and returned the grip. "I'll gladly listen to everything."
Juvia was currently wrapping a fresh cloth around Laxus' stomach, much to his annoyance. Once finished, she stood up and walked up to Erza.
"Have you felt that massive explosion of magic power on your way here?" she asked the knight.
"Yes. Since you're asking me about it, does this mean it reached you all the way down here?"
"It did." replied Lucy. "We thought we'd get squeezed into the ground."
"We weren't that much further from ending up that way either." said Erza with a small smile.
"If it wasn't either of you, then who?" added Juvia with a light frown.
Erza looked at the bluenette for a moment, before shifting her eyes onto the ceiling. "I have an idea." she said quietly.
Laxus looked at the knight. "You sure you don't wanna help him?"
Erza turned around to face him. "I am. This is something Natsu has to do on his own, I have no right to stick my nose in this matter."
Laxus continued to stare into Erza's eyes, before lightly exhaling with his nose. "If you say so." He then spotted something with his eye. He blinked a few times and frowned. "Who the hell is that?"
The women looked at him, before turning around to take a look at his discovery. Their eyes laid on defeated Luppi, who was currently laying on the ground on his back, his limbs sprawled in all directions.
"He's one of the Commandments. The one responsible for controlling the Chairman." replied Lucy with a grim voice.
Erza's eyes widened in shock. "Did we miss him on our way through?!"
Juvia nodded. "He was hiding in one of the cells. He was waiting for us."
Erza clenched her teeth in anger. She left them on this floor to keep them away from danger, and yet she basically presented them both to the enemy on a silver platter, making them go through something horrible. She looked at them both, their heads hanged low, their faces pale and grim. Whatever it was that happened here, it must've been terrible.
"Forgive me." said quietly Erza. "This is all my fault. Because of my poor judgement, you had to go through this nightmare."
Lucy shook her head. "Don't be. I'm actually glad it happened."
The knight looked at her with slight suprise.
"The Chairman is not being controlled anymore. Etherion will not be launched!" she finished with a smile.
Erza couldn't help but smile as well. "I guess that completes my news."
Lucy blinked in confusion. "What?"
"On my way here, I was contacted by Hibiki. He gave me Mirajane, Gajeel and Gray's status and a message from Master. They have successfully taken over the Council, thus cancelling Etherion's launch. Now, with their control over Chairman broken, Seven Commandments' plan has crumbled into nothingness."
Lucy and Juvia couldn't help but smile in joy. "That's great news!" said Juvia.
"Victory!" exclaimed Lucy and hugged Juvia. She then calmed down and looked at Erza. "What about the others? Are they okay?"
Erza's smile slightly faded away. She considered lying to the blonde, but ultimately decided not to. "I'll be blunt. Mira and Gajeel are severely injured. They are both on board Christina, their injuries no longer threatening their lives."
Juvia's eyes widened. "No longer?" she repeated slowly. These words meant, that at some point, her friends were few steps away from death, which greatly disturbed the rainwoman.
"As for Gray..." continued Erza. Juvia's eyes widened even more, as she ran up to the knight and grabbed a hold of her hand. "What about him?!" she asked in a raised voice.
"He received treatment, but left the ship. He's currently in the tower. With his injuries, he shouldn't be moving at all. We have to find him and bring him back."
Juvia let go of the redhead's hand and looked at the floor, worry creeping into her mind.
"There's also another problem. One of the Commandments is currently on the loose somewhere in the tower. There's a high chance she gets to Gray before us, therefore, we must hurry."
Juvia and Lucy nodded eagerly. They both walked up to Laxus, one on each of his sides, ready to pick him up. As much as he wanted to argue, he knew he wouldn't be able to walk without their help, so he simply let the women lift him off the ground. He then took a look at unconscious Jellal and Arthur. "You sure we should leave them like that?"
Erza looked at the Commandments, a slight feeling of irritation awakening in her mind. She had completely forgotten about them.
"No. I am not."
She then quickly Requipped a set of rope and began tying them up, tightly wrapping them from head to toe. She had no access to anti-magic cuffs, but in their current condition, even getting out of these binds should be a challenge. After a short while she was done, Jellal and Arthur wrapped in a cocoon of rope. She then grabbed her sword, ready to move out.
"Let us move. There's no time to waste. Let's start with the floor beneath, he couldn't have gotten too far with these injur-"
Erza's words were cut off by a loud noise coming from above. Before any of the Fairy Tail mages could react, something smashed into the floor in front of them after crashing through the ceiling, pieces of debris flying in all directions, a big cloud of dust quickly forming itself. Erza was forced to cover her face with her arms to protect her eyes from shards of the floor, as she, along with everyone else began to cough after being swallowed by the dust. After a while, it cleared out, allowing the knight to take a proper look at what happened.
The ceiling was now decorated with a hole that appeared to be present on each and every single floor above the one they currently resided on. After examining it for few seconds, Erza shifted her eyes onto the ground, blood freezing in her veins. In front of her laid a giant pile of rubble and debris, placed in a large crater, the floor beneath it cracked in all directions. From beneath this pile of rubble peeked out a male arm, the remains of a black jacket still present on its skin, the scar around its wrist gleaming in the light, as its owner laid there, completely immobile.
"Natsu!" cried out Erza in despair, as she threw herself in his direction, leaving shocked Juvia, Laxus and Lucy behind.
20 minutes earlier, Tower of Heaven, Top Floor
After dragging out his way up the stairs for as long as he could, Natsu finally found himself right in front of his goal. He slowly lifted his right leg and pushed it forwards, kicking the massive door down. The wood easily gave up under his strength and flew out of its hinges, opening the entrance to the room. The pinkette lowered his leg and entered the massive room. It was a giant, practically empty hall, that took over vast majority of the floor. Just above the entrance was a giant window, that granted the view up to the very shore. At the very center of the room, on top of a red stairway stood a throne, with a male figure with silver hair sitting on it. By the very end of the stairs stood the remains of a coffin, its interiors still gently burning. The moonlight gently lit up the already dark room, the dark blue walls reflecting barely any light. The ceiling was decorated with multiple fancy, gold chandeliers, all of them full of small candles, that gave just enough light to take a good look at the area. This display gave the hall a menacing and creepy vibe, that greatly caught the pressure raising in the air with each second.
The man in the throne looked down at his visitor, his crimson eyes gleaming in the dark, his lips curving in a smile.
"Welcome, Natsu. I've been expecting you."
Natsu's fists clenched themselves on their own. "Silva."
Silva gently stood up from his throne. He was clad in a dark coat, that reached all the way to his ankles. Beneath his coat, he was wearing a black buttonless jacket, with silver straps that ran down his arms from his shoulder, ending on the rings formed on the very end of the sleeves. The jacket was tucked to his right side and behind his brown belt. He had tall black boots, with his dark grey pants tugged behind them. This dark display of colors worked wonders with his long, silver hair.
"Seven years. How time flies." said Silva, before starting to walk down the stairs. "Who would have thought we would meet under such circumstances? Personally, I've never expected the troublesome child from years back to turn into such an important piece in my game."
He was now half-way down, when he suddenly stopped walking. "And what an unruly piece you are. By my calculations, if it hadn't been for your persistence in ruining our plans, the world would have been a better place for years now. But don't worry, Natsu. You are forgiven, as tonight, you will take responsibility for your actions. You see..."
"For years."
Silva's monologue was interrupted by Natsu. The man closed his open mouth and looked at the Dragon Slayer, who was currently staring at the ground, his head hanged low. His fists were lightly clenched, his voice calm.
"For years, I was wondering what would happen if I found myself standing in front of you. What would I do, what would I feel, how would I react, what would I say. I've played the scenario in my head hundreds of times, to the point where sometimes I had to convince myself it hadn't happened yet. For years, I felt all this anger and hatred building up every time I remembered you, every single act ended up in me bashing your head in. I was so frustrated I couldn't get my hands on you, I couldn't help but train myself to exhaustion, or lash out on your men until they died, or could no longer stay conscious. But with each year, that feeling was slowly dying out, to the point where I didn't even know the point of what I was doing. Until one day, when I've realised something. I didn't want to acknowledge it at first, but now that I'm standing right in front of you, it's all clear."
Natsu took his eyes off the ground and locked them with Silva's. "Even when I'm staring into your eyes, I don't even know what to feel. I should be furious, I shouldn't be even talking to you, I should be lashing out on you. But I just can't."
Silva smirked. "Hatred is a wild, burning flame. It can grow big and powerful, but can easily fade away with time. Yours lasted for a long time, but it appears, it no longer-"
"As an individual, that is."
Natsu once again cut Silva off, much to the man's irritation. He looked at the Dragon Slayer with a raised eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
Natsu took a while to reply. He looked at his right hand and opened it. "The more time I spent out there, the more I realised it's not just about me. What you've done to me, to our village was terrible. I still want to slaughter you all for what you've done back then. But I am not alone."
Natsu tightly clenched his fist and looked at Silva with burning eyes, as he forced his painful memories of Marie's body in his arms back to the corners of his mind. "All those people I saw with my own eyes, taken away from their homes, kept against their will, forced to do your bidding. All the homes destroyed, all the families torn apart, all the people I've failed to save, all the lives you've taken in this cursed building. Seeing it all gave me a new purpose in life, it filled me with a new sense. A sense of duty."
Silva listened to the Dragon Slayer with a calm face, unimpressed with his monologue.
Natsu's fist lit up in flames, his tone and expression getting more and more wild with each second. "My duty is to take you all down, no matter the cost. Not because of my personal grudge, but because it is my duty, which I owe to all the people, who went through the very same horror as I did. All my life, I've been doing nothing but hurting people, even those who did not deserve it. At the very end, I might as well do something good for a change, and end you once and for all."
Silva's eyes slightly widened in shock. He quickly recovered, however, and gently sighed, before resuming his way down once again. "And here I was, excited for our fateful meeting. Words cannot express how disappointed I am, Salamander. I was hoping you wouldn't end up as all those self righteous, blind fools, that roam our beautiful, diseased world. Unless, of course, you are simply lying to yourself, to justify you own actions and make you feel right."
Seeing that his taunt had no effect on the Dragon Slayer, Silva dropped it and continued his monologue.
"I was hoping that by showing you the truth of this world at a very young age, you would make a good decision, and help us bring peace and justice. It makes me sad, that after years of my hard work, I ended up awakening only six people. I'm actually starting to doubt my own methods."
He then stopped just few steps away from the ground and spread his arms out. "This world is cruel, Natsu. The strong feed on the weak. You've just said your duty is destroying us. Mine is bringing peace and harmony to the world. We all deserve to be equal, and Zeref's guidance will be the very first step in our revolution!"
"Cut the bullshit." growled Natsu, earning him a confused look from Silva. "We both know you'd rather die, than willingly put someone above you. You'd let them name you The God for a reason."
Silva stared at Natsu for a short while, his mouth lightly agape, before twisting it into a sinister grin. "Oh? You've figured it out?"
Natsu left this question unanswered and instead continued to drill a hole in Silva's face with his stare. Seeing that further discussion was pointless, he regained his composure and resumed his way down.
With one final step, he finally made it all the way down the stairs, and stood few meters before Natsu. He took a look at the pinkette's figure and smirked, completely dropping his earlier facade. "Despite all the things we've just said, I do have to praise you. Knowing full well you are no match for me and my magic, you still decide to aim your fists in my direction. Consider the God amused."
Natsu made nothing of the man's taunts and simply said two words. "The Snatcher"
Silva's eyes widened in shock at the sound of these words. "What did you say?" he asked, his condescending tone gone.
"That's the name of your magic." replied Natsu, his voice confident.
Silva clenched his teeth in anger and slowly looked at the coffin right next to him. "Grigol..." he growled.
"He simply confirmed it. I figured it out on my own." said the Dragon Slayer. "Lost Magic: The Snatcher. The ability to steal other people's magic, and either keep it for ourselves, or grant it to others. There are multiple conditions you have to meet, before successfully taking someone's magic away. Learning its nature, what it does, how it's activated and whether it's Lost or not are just a few of them. Even after you gain a new ability, you still have to learn how to use it from scratch, rendering you at square one, no matter the point of mastery of its previous owner."
A vein popped on Silva's forehead, sweat running down his temple. A disgusting feeling of defeat crawled onto his neck, anger building up inside of him.
"You're no God. You're just a sadistic scum, who also happens to be a thief." growled Natsu.
With one swift move of his arm, Silva struck the coffin in anger, breaking it into tiny pieces, Grigol's ashes spilling onto the floor.
"Well done, Natsu." said quietly the man. "Perhaps this little meeting will grant me a small dose of enjoyment after all. You are not required to be whole for the ceremony, which leaves room for some fun."
Natsu bent his knees, ready to charge. "You will die today, Silva."
The Commandment simply smirked in response and took off his coat, before throwing it aside. "I wonder."
In one moment, Natsu let all the pent up feelings to take over his mind, his flame once again burning with great strength. He kicked the ground as hard as he could, and dashed at Silva, at speed he hasn't used in a long while, not holding anything back. He pulled his arm back and struck the man's face as hard as he could, his flames exploding upon impact. Once they cleared, Natsu realised he hasn't made contact with the man, his fist stuck in the air few centimeters away from Silva's face, pressing against something hard and invisible.
Silva smirked and quickly answered by striking Natsu's face with his right hand, his palm open. Natsu dodged the strike by ducking underneath and threw an overhand left, aimed at the man's face. Silva blocked the strike at the last second, by putting his left hand up to his face and catching it before it connected with his cheek. Despite blocking the strike, he received majority of its impact. Both men remained frozen in their positions, glaring at each other. Blood flew out of the right corner of Silva's mouth, revealing the effects of Natsu's punch. After a second, he lightly squeezed Natsu's right hand.
In an instance, Natsu's arm blew up, a cloud of blood exploding right next to his face, few drops of it falling onto his face. In pure shock and fear, Natsu quickly threw a panicked right straight into Silva's face, which connected, and forcefully snatched his left arm out of his grip. He jumped back as far as he could and fearfully looked down at his trembling, stinging arm, afraid of what he was about to find out. His left arm was covered in multiple shallow cuts, varying from short ones on his fingers, to very long ones that reached up to his elbow. Despite the grotesque sight, there was no serious damage to the hand, which Natsu took with relief. He ripped the remains of his sleeve and wrapped it around his wounded arm, his eyes glued to Silva while doing so.
"As expected of a Dragon Slayer." said the man, while wiping his mouth off. "My intentions were to shred your arm into tiny bits, however all I've managed to give you are cat scratches. The durability that comes with your magic is truly magnificent. Then again, this magic is the newest addition to my collection, I am still a novice at controlling it. But, I must give praise where it is required, and you most certainly deserve it. It appears I will be forced to put slightly more effort into this than I'd previously thought."
Natsu pulled the cloth with his teeth, finishing his first aid and resumed his fighting stance. "You won't even get a chance."
He kicked the ground and charged at Silva once again. He quickly closed the distance between them and kicked his middle section, only to feel his foot stop few centimeters away from his target, once again meeting air. Not phased by it, he put his leg down and jumped over Silva, throwing few kicks into his head while in the air, all of them facing the fame fate. He then landed directly behind Silva and turned around on his feet, using the momentum and his entire body weight to strike his back with all his might, his flames once again exploding upon impact. But just like all the other attacks, it was rendered useless, with an invisible wall standing between him and Silva.
Silva smirked and gently turned around to face the pinkette. "Your fist will not reach me ever again."
He then extended his left hand and put it in Natsu's face. A second later, Natsu was blown back by an explosion that hit him point blank. Feeling his skin burning and hurting from impact, he grimaced from pain and turned around in the air, before falling on all fours and sliding on the floor. He lifted his head, only to see that Silva was nowhere to be found. His instincts cried out in danger, and with a sheer miracle, he threw himself to the side, avoiding Silva's devastating hand, that touched the ground and blew it up, knocking both men backwards.
Natsu once again slid on the floor and covered his face with his arms, guarding his eyes from dust. "That's the third magic. No matter how skilled he is, there is no way he can have more abilities than that. A barrier to protect himself, and two offensive magics. Bastard's pretty stacked up."
Knowing full well than wondering about it was pointless, Natsu rushed in Silva's direction once again, his hands lit up. He got inside of his range and threw a right uppercut, that was easily dodged by Silva. He then extended his pivot and threw a left hook, to which Silva responded by sidestepping to his right. Natsu quickly turned on his feet and threw a right hook that was blocked by the Barrier, only to then put his left hand on the wall as well, and launch a powerful blast of flames. Much to his suprise, the flames splattered to the sides, not damaging the wall at all.
"A pain in the ass barrier and two powerful magics to shred your opponents with. That's three in total. You sure as hell are a greedy bastard, aren't you." growled Natsu.
Silva simply chuckled at these words, which annoyed Natsu even further. "Three? Couldn't be more far from the truth."
Suddenly, he vanished. Natsu's eyes widened in shock, his ears picking up a faint sound of footsteps behind him. He quickly turned around, only to see Silva's face in front of his, his fist retracted. Using all the strength he had in his legs, Natsu jumped back just in time to avoid The God's punch. His fist made contact with the ground and broke it into dozens of tiny pieces, the entire floor cracking and breaking under the weight of his strike. Natsu landed several meters away and couldn't help but stagger in the uneven ground, his eyes wide and full of terror.
"T-this is...Grigol's..." was all he could muster at the very moment.
Silva pulled his fist out from the ground and shook it a little, assessing its state. After seeing it was not damaged at all, he gave it a light squeezed and turned to Natsu. "Yes, Body Enhancement Magic. The very same magic Grigol used to have two days ago." He then noticed the state Natsu was in and laughed gently. "Don't be so suprised, Natsu. Who exactly do you think he got it from?"
Salamander still couldn't believe what just happened. "But...how..."
Silva's face twisted in a sinister grin. "I never said I couldn't take magic off corpses now, did I?"
Shock was defeated by disgust and anger, as Natsu's face slowly twisted into a scowl. "You scum."
"I admit, my control over it is a bit lacking. It's been years, after all. But I think I still got the basics." said the Commandment while checking out his body, ignoring Natsu's insult. He then clenched his fist and smiled at the Dragon Slayer. "Let's try it out."
In an instance, Silva dashed at the pinkette, not giving him a chance to put up his guard. Natsu threw a quick right straight, which was bypassed by Silva, who answered with a right hook to his jaw. Natsu's head was blown aside, but he remained in his spot. He grit his teeth and replied with a right hook of his own, only to hit nothing but air, with Silva gone. He then felt sharp pain in his back, with Silva kicking him from behind. Natsu replied to that with a right backfist that sent a massive wave of flames, only to once again miss his target. He quickly turned around in a wild guess, which turned out to be correct, with Silva punching him in the gut. Gasping for air, Natsu felt multiple strikes nail into his body, unable to react. He put up his guard and tried to survive the onslaught, his mind racing.
"It's been 10 seconds already, how the hell can he still move like that?!" he wondered, feeling his nose being squashed by Silva's fist. Fed up with this, he lit up his entire body on fire and expanded the aura as far as he could, forcing the Commandment to jump back, which allowed Natsu to finally take a breath.
"It appears I've still got it." muttered Silva to himself, as he watched his right hand with fascination. He then looked at Natsu and smirked. "If you're wondering why my usage of this magic is so different, it's because it is one of the most flexible magics in the world. Its usage is dependant on the user. Grigol was a power hungry fool, who put brute strength above all, which greatly crippled his capabilities and made him full of weaknesses. I spread out the power all over my body and dose it accordingly, which grants me not only superior speed when compared to him, but also vastly extends my time limit."
Natsu clenched his teeth in anger, desperation slowly creeping into his heart. "I've beat Grigol, and I will do the same with you."
"I do wonder about that." retorted Silva. "Earlier, you said I had three magics. Now, that I've showed you that is not the case, I guess I could do you a little favor and save you the shock that would most likely come to you in near future. I do not possess four magics. I possess six."
Natsu's eyes widened in fear. Six? "You're bluffing." he growled.
"Why don't you find out for yourself? You've always been a slow learner, even as a child. I think we both remember it very well."
Natsu couldn't help himself from charging at the man, even if he wanted to. Hearing the very man who put him through hell mention these events made him snap, his last bits of reason slowly giving in to fury. He lit up his fists once again and ran towards Silva, his torso leaned against the ground, which greatly increased his speed. In response, Silva squatted in his spot and put his hands on the ground.
All of a sudden, multiple spikes grew out from the ground, all of them aimed at Natsu. Halting himself at the last possible second, he avoided being impaled by jumping back, however some of them did manage to scratch his legs and arms a bit. As soon as he landed, he felt a presence in front of him, with Silva quickly closing the distance with Body Enhancement Magic. He delivered a powerful kick to the pinkette's stomach, which made him cough up blood and blow him back. He rolled on the ground, before finally regaining him position and blindly charging at the man once again, his reason dulled. Silva simply smirked and tapped the ground with his foot, spikes growing out from the ground once again. In response, Natsu jumped and lit up his fist, before smashing it into the spikes.
FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!
The punch shattered the spikes and covered Natsu's figure in shards of the ground and dust. When he finally flew out of the cloud, he spotted Silva, his hands extended in front of him, aimed in Natsu's direction.
EXPLODING WAVE!
A massive explosion was sent in Natsu's direction, hitting the Dragon Slayer in his entirety. He was blown away, his body covered in light burn marks, the stinging pain all over his body fueling his rage even further. He flipped in the air and landed on all fours, ready to attack again, but before he had a chance, he spotted a giant pillar heading in his direction. He sidestepped to his right, easily dodging it, but with the corner of his eye, he spotted a weird red marking on the solid surface. Before he could react, Silva snapped his fingers, which caused the pillar to explode, hurting Natsu and blowing him away to the side. He once again rolled on the ground, his body becoming heavier with each taken hit, as he slowly approached his limit. Despite the pain, he once again stood up and resumed his fighting stance, his hands swalled by flames yet again.
"I was expecting more resistance, Natsu. Please, try not to disappoint my expectations." mocked Silva, playing on the pinkette's nerves. "You're fighting for all the people I've hurt, are you not? Right now, you are not disappointing just me, but them as well."
The last sentence hit its mark, with Natsu once again throwing himself at the Commandment in despair. Just like earlier, Silva replied by putting his hands on the floor, but instead of spikes, he grew out giant cubes formed into pillars, that greatly changed the terrain, blocking Salamander's way in the process. Natsu stopped in his tracks after being lifted towards the ceiling by one of the pillars and puffed out his chest, his magic power rising.
FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!
Purging flames hit the reconstructed ground, shattering it like glass. They burned them into nothingness and flew right into Silva, much to his suprise. In response, the man flexed his right arm and punched in the flames' direction, a giant shockwave breaking the roar into tiny bits of fire. Making nothing of it, Natsu continued his dash, his path clear of any obstacles, as he jumped in the air, ready to use another roar. Seeing this, Silva raised his arm and extended his index and middle fingers, keeping the rest of his fingers bent inwards his palm. He then raised it in the air, before slicing the air with his fingers.
AIR SLICER!
Everything in front of Silva, including the very ground itself was cut in two, a thin, sharp slice of air flying across the floor. The attack pierce through the wall and escaped the tower, flying into the horizon. Natsu fell to the ground. He covered his face with his hand, blood dripping down his palm, as he stood up. Despite dodging the attack at the last second, he was still caught, a big cut spreading across his face at an angle, from above his left eyebrow, across his nose and down his cheek, ending just next to his lip.
Making nothing out of his newest injury, Natsu dashed once again, adrenaline making him immune to pain. Seeing that the Dragon Slayer was still eager to resist, he put up his hands on his sides and aimed his palms at the Dragon Slayer, his fingers twisted into claws.
AIR CANNON: GATLING GUN!
The God started to push multiple balloons of air towards Natsu, his hands turning into machine guns. Natsu used his sharp instincts to dodge every single bullet sent his way, as he zig zagged his way through the onslaught. Seeing that he had no means of hitting Natsu with this attack, Silva and extended his hands further and focused his magic in his palms.
AIR WAVE!
Silva sent a strong wave of wind in Natsu's direction, who jumped over it. Now, in the air, he pulled his arm back and focused his magic in his fist, his fire reaching unbearable temperatures. In response, Silva tapped the ground with his foot once again, a giant pillar slowly growing out of the ground behind him. He then gently tapped it with his right hand and then smacked his arm in Natsu's direction, the structure flying into him at full speed. The pinkette put up his left arm and sent a giant fireball to the side, which changed the trajectory of his flight, and allowed him to pass right by the pillar. However, just like before, it was marked, and it blew up right next to the Dragon Slayer, a giant explosion swallowing his figure.
Silva smirked in triumph, sure of his victory. But that was short lived, as Natsu jumped out of the cloud, with no new injuries on his figure. Silva's eyes widened in slight shock, as he watched Natsu pulled his fist back, his flames so hot they were almost white in color.
FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!
Natsu struck with everything he had, the area around him blowing up from the impact, his flames spreading all over the floor. The surface beneath his feet cracked even further, making the entire floor unstable and easy to collapse. After a long while, the dust cleared, as Natsu panted heavily, awaiting the results of his attack. His eyes slowly widened in terror upon meeting Silva's crimson eyes, who was safe and sound after blocking the strike with his barrier. However, despite being uninjured, he was still shaken up by the strength of the strike, most likely considering the scenario where he did not protect himself in time.
"As I've already told you." he said, his voice quiet, with anger creeping behind it. "Your fist will never reach me."
The God struck the pinkette's face with a powerful left straight, which sent him flying. He landed on his back several meters away, blood flowing down his face from his cut. He slowly stood up, breathing heavily, the last attack vastly draining his remaining stamina.
"This is becoming stale. Instead of enjoyment, all I can muster is irritation." said quietly Silva, displeased with the turn of events. He dusted off his clothes and locked his eyes with Natsu. "The only thing driving you is despair and desperation. You are well aware you have no chance of winning, but you keep pushing yourself forward in order to satisfy your own ego. This farce has gone on for far too long. It's time I've ended this."
Natsu growled and charged at Silva, his steps heavy and tense.
"But before our goodbye, there is something I've got to tell you, Natsu." said the Commandment, before effortlessly dodging the Dragon Slayer's punch. "I forgot to mention a very crucial point regarding my Barrier."
"I don't care!" roared Natsu, before kicking in Silva's direction, only to be blocked once again.
"You see..." continued the man, as he kept blocking and dodging each and every strike. "The damage absorbed by this magic does not simply disappear. Barrier is not just a magic that protects me from harm - if I were to compare it to an item you might be familiar with, it'd be a sponge. It absorbs all received damage in one place, and keeps it sealed."
FIRE DRAGON'S JAW!
The entire floor shook down to its core, as Natsu smashed his joined hands into the ground, only for Silva to escape with the increased speed, granted him by his Body Enhancement Magic. He then quickly stepped in and kicked Natsu in the stomach. The Dragon Slayer grit his teeth in pain, before locking his hands on Silva's leg and raising him by it, suprising the man. Silva then quickly switched to his explosions and touched Natsu's hands, causing them to blow up. His grip on Silva's leg loosened up, his sore, stinging hands not listening to him. Natsu grit his teeth in pain and jumped out of the smoke, only to find Silva right in front of his face.
"Thanks to that, I can do this."
Silva put his hand on Natsu's sternum and calmly said one word.
REPEL
Excruciating pain shook Natsu right to his core, his eyes immediately losing their focus, breath leaving his body, a giant amount of blood escaping his open mouth. along with a weird, almost inhuman squeek. He was sent flying backwards, as he bounced off the ground like a ball, before halting, with his back smashing into something hard. Silva created a wall just behind Natsu to keep him away from falling out of the tower and clenched his fist, wires of concrete and ground starting to slowly wrap themselves around the Dragon Slayer, keeping him stuck to the wall. Natsu tried to escape, his heavy, sore body not listening to his commands, as he desperately fought for even a single breath.
"How does it feel, being hit with the accumulated force of all the strikes you've thrown at me?" asked Silva with a smirk. His only response was Natsu's hateful glare.
"Well, it doesn't matter now. It's over, Natsu. There are no words in this world to express my disappointment."
Natsu growled through his clenched teeth and started to violently shake in his bounds, the hard, solid material wrapping more and more of his body, now leaving only his chest and head out of its grasp.
"Still, my own, personal feelings are not important here, as you do deserve some sort of a praise. Not only have you killed one Commandment, you've managed to injure three others. You've both exceeded and disappointed my expectations, how ironic is that?"
Once again, Silva received no reply, his crimson eyes watching the struggling Dragon Slayer with amusement. His chest was now covered in the hardened floor, as it slowly crawled onto his mouth.
"Since this is farewell, as we will never see each other again, I must express my gratitude towards you, Natsu. Thanks to you, my dream of a perfect world will finally come true. Soon, I will free your unconscious body from its prison and sacrifice you to bring back Zeref. Then, once all the pieces are finally in their place, I will activate the command I've put in Luppi's brain upon granting him his magic. Against his own will, he will be forced to give his own life for my future, and transfer my mind into Zeref's body, granting me his superior knowledge of magic and magic power. Once that is complete, I will finally be able to cleanse this world off its filth - wizards."
Silva clenched his teeth in disgust, his hatred towards wizards kicking in. "Magic is too beautiful for this world. People living here do not deserve the beauty it grants us. Instead of using it for greater purpose, it is mindlessly used to spread violence, destruction and tragedy. One in a tenth is born a wizard, and yet despite these ridiculous odds, all of those blessed with this gift use it for their own, selfish needs. But no more."
Natsu stopped struggling and listened to Silva, his eyes wide and unable to believe what he'd just heard.
"I am currently too weak to make a difference, but with Zeref's power, I will be able to purge this world and rebuild it anew. Earlier, you've mentioned all the people that met their end in this tower. They were a nourishment for the future of others. What is a couple thousands, when compared to millions? In order to change something, we must sacrifice something in return. And tonight, my dream will finally come true. For making that happen, I will be forever in your debt, Natsu."
Natsu's eyes were the only thing free from his binds, as he continued to dumbly stare at the Commandment, only one thought circling in his mind.
"He's insane."
"To pay it, let me share a certain information with you." said Natsu, earning himself a confused look from the Dragon Slayer. "Despite not asking me about it earlier, I am most certain this question is still present at the back of your mind. This question being: What happened to your friends after you've escaped from us?"
Natsu threw himself in his binds once again, his screams muffled.
"After killing the woman who set you all free, we went an extra mile and successfully caught majority of the escaped children. They were then escorted here, where they worked for my dream. As for their end..."
Silva stopped and watched Natsu, who calmly waited to hear the rest, his eyes wide and fearful.
"Let's just say you've met them today, upon entering the tower." finished The God with a small smirk.
Realisation kicked Natsu harder than any blow, as he remembered the exploding bodies he's encountered upon entering the tower. Tears formed in his eyes, fury slowly starting to take over his mind, however, before he could give in to it, Silva quickly finished restraining him, his eyes being covered by the concrete. Natsu was successfully sealed, left to suffocate and become unconscious in his binds.
Silva sighed through his nose, letting his victory sink in deep into his very soul. He couldn't help the small smile that formed on his face, as he slowly raised his fingers up to his temple and tried to reach out to Luppi through their private mind link.
"Luppi, answer me."
There was a small pause after these words, but the teenager obediently responded.
"Yes, Master?"
"I have captured Salamander. Retreat to the top floor immediately."
Another pause. Silva couldn't help but frown, sensing that situation on the other end may have not been going according to his plans.
"I am currently trying to get back to you, Master. There are some difficulties, however. It may take me a while to get back to you."
Cold sweat covered Silva's neck. If something happened to the most important piece of his plan, everything was lost. He looked at sealed Natsu - leaving him with no supervision was out of the question. Feeling his feet getting wet, Silva decided to stay calm and deal with the situation as always.
"Retreat back at all cost. That is an order."
"As you wish, Master."
With that said, the link was cut off. The God frowned, his blood pressure raising. If Luppi was all alone, did it mean all the other Commandments have already fallen? How was that possible? A guild capable of destroying everything on its path defeated by a mere legal guild full of fakes? The sheer thought was inconceivable.
All of a sudden, the sound of something cracking reached his ears. Silva twitched and quickly turned in the direction of the sound, which came from Natsu's prison. The God carefully watched it in suspense, disbelief creeping into his mind. Then, more cracks appeared on the surface, not making the Commandment fully certain of the situation.
Before he could react, the cage exploded, pieces of debris flying in all directions, with a furious Dragon Slayer emerging from its remains, as he growled through his grit, bare teeth. He then locked his eyes with Silva, small lightnings beginning to crackle around his body.
With absolutely no warning, Natsu roared into the ceiling, his body exploding in a massive aura of fire and lightning, triple the size of his own body. The gravity in the hall increased, making it difficult for Silva to breathe, with Natsu's magic power increasing with each second, as he continued to roar, his voice and magic causing the entire tower to shake. Despite its furious, wild nature, Natsu's scream was filled with sadness and despair, something that scared the Commandment to his very core.
"What is this magic?! How can be possess this much power?!" wondered terrified Silva in his thoughts. "This is too much, even for me! I must quickly subdue him, otherwise..."
All of a sudden, Natsu stopped his cry and bent his knees, before dashing at Silva, the floor beneath him breaking. He closed the distance at speed great enough to render the Commandment speechless and pulled his arm back, both of his elements covering it tightly.
BARRIER!
Silva couldn't help but cry out in fear, as he watched Natsu's fist land a mere inch away from his face. Two elements splashed themselves all over the invisible wall, sucessfully blocking the strike. Silva then tried to counterattack with his explosions by throwing his arm in Natsu's direction. Growling in fury, Natsu retracted his fist and quickly ran around Silva, taking him from behind, and dodging his attack.
Terror grasping his heart, Silva used his Body Enhancement Magic to jump out of the way, his speed cracked up to its very limits. Just when he thought he was safe, he felt an iron grip on his left ankle, with Natsu grabbing him before he could escape. In one, swift motion of his arm, he smashed the man into the floor, knocking wind out of his lungs. Not giving him enough time to rest, Natsu followed through with a right stomp, only to be interrupted by Silva, who quickly formed a pillar, which raised Natsu high in the air, away from The God.
Natsu growled and grabbed the pillar with both arms, before shattering it into pieces. He then used one of them as a foothold and launched himself at Silva, who was forced to desperately roll out of the way of his flight. Natsu crashed into the ground, breaking it even further, the wind created with his landing pushing Silva back even further.
Silva quickly stood up and raised his arms, ready to strike the rampaging Dragon Slayer before he could reach him. Just like he expected, Natsu charged straight at him.
AIR-
Suddenly, Natsu greatly increased his speed and caught the Commandment midway through his attack. He planted his fist, coated in fire and lightning deep into the man's stomach, making him cough up alot of blood, the stinging, itching pain spreading over his stomach. Silva was blown away, his stomach burned and numb, as he rolled on the ground, unable to stop himself. His back planted itself on one of his earlier creations, as he slid down it, his hands aimlessly hovering over his injured area, unable to comprehend this turn of events. He then raised his head, only to feel genuine fear get a hold of his chest, with Natsu slowly pacing towards him, his face twisted in animal-like fury.
"M-monster..." mumbled Silva, before being forced to jump out of the way, with Natsu charging at him once again. While in the air, he couldn't help but helplessly watch the Dragon Slayer bend his knees and jump as well, following him in suit. Silva couldn't shake off the feeling of being a prey, bound to be captured by its predator, no matter how long he tried to run for. This feeling filled the Commandment with anger, greatly injuring his pride. He was the man destined to change the world, how could he fall victim to the very person he was supposed to use to achieve this dream with?
Fear slowly started to give in to anger, as Silva decided to fight back, and show this rampaging ape its place. He put up his hands and aimed them at Natsu, at the same time readying himself up for the upcoming pain.
"Using two magics at the same time is a major violation of my magic's rules, but if it's you we're talking about, I am willing to do whatever it takes."
REPEL + MAXIMUM AIR CUTTER!
A combined shockwave of wind and absorbed force hit Natsu in its entirety, which sent him flying towards the floor. His figure broke through it and started to make its way down the tower, passing through each and every floor beneath. Silva yelled out, his arms pulsing and burning from pain, as he limply fell onto the ground. He grunted through his clenched teeth, his arms tense and flexed, however, despite all this pain, he still considered it a right choice. With this combination, his victory was secured.
Natsu fell down all the way to the fourth floor, where his momentum was finally lowered enough to allow him to stay on it, as he smashed into the floor. Pieces of ceiling and floor fell on top of him, burying him in a small mountain of rubble, his right hand being the only thing visible from beneath the pile.
Rocked, he dumbly stared into the darkness, his mind trying to figure out what just happened. He didn't have to wait too long, as all the pieces started to quickly form into a whole mass.
"Natsu!"
With the familiar voice calling out to him being the final push, Natsu was completely awakened. He clenched his right fist and blew up the pile of rubble on top of him, sending its pieces fly in all directions.
Erza was forced to shield her face from the stones, as she watched Natsu stand up from the ground, his cloak of fire and lightning tightly surrounding his entire figure. He slowly raised his head towards the ceiling, his face expressing pure fury. His eyes were almost completely rid of pupils, his teeth tightly clenched, but kept behind his lips. He was covered in injured from head to toe, his recent trip rewarding him with more cuts and bruises. All of this gave him a sinister look, one that filled Fairy Tail mage with pure fear.
"Natsu-" Erza tried to call out to the Dragon Slayer, but before she could do so, she felt a strong hand on her shoulder. She looked around to look at Laxus, whose eyes were glued on Salamander. The blonde was tense and cautious.
"Don't speak to him, not when he's like that. He might not recognize you."
Even if she wanted to, she couldn't argue with this advice. If Laxus of all people gave her this advice, it must have meant he's seen the pinkette in this state before.
"Let's just step away from him and keep our distance."
The women nodded and started to slowly back off, Lucy and Juvia still supporting Laxus, with Natsu not even paying attention to them. Instead, his entire focus was aimed at the ceiling, more specifically his opponent that was still couple floors above. After a short while of thinking, Natsu started to inhale as much air as he could, his magic beginning to raise. He puffed out his chest and cheeks, as he leaned back towards the floor, facing the ceiling.
Before Erza could even shout out to her friends to warn them, it already happened.
LIGHTNING FLAME DRAGON'S ROAR!
The knight was forced to watch, as Natsu spat out a torrent of flames and lightning, an attack she had a chance to experience with her own skin over a week ago. Except this time, it was at least three times larger, and as it made contact with the ceiling, it sent waves of air that knocked her and her friends back, making them fly across the floor.
Natsu's roar made its way up the tower, until it crashed into its very roof and passed right through it, flying into the night sky, like a beacon of light. Wendy and Hibiki, who watched it happen from on board Christina, could only stare at it in awe, their jaws on the floor.
After what felt like minutes, Natsu's roar finally calmed down, leaving him panting and seemingly drained, his aura much smaller than before. Erza pushed away the piece of debris that found its way on top of her and looked up, before feeling her eyes widen in pure shock.
She was met with the sight of the night sky, all the floors above them gone and erased from existence, with only their falling apart skeleton remaining in their place, about to crumble. Erza slowly shifted her gaze back onto Natsu, who was now staring at something. That something turned out to be Silva, who was currently lying on his stomach, his body twitching and covered in light burns. His terrified eyes were glued to Natsu's figure, who started to slowly walk in his direction. Despite using his Barrier to protect himself, it broke under the pressure, blocking only a part of the attack. The mere thought of his defense being beaten was unimaginable to the Commandment, and with the sight of his now ruined tower, it was a blow he had no hopes of recovering from.
Just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, he spotted defeated Luppi, Jellal and Arthur, all of them lying next to each other. Silva couldn't help but feel his world falling apart, as he desperately tried to ensure himself it was all just a bad dream.
"It's over, Silva." said Natsu, which awakened the man from his trance. "It's gone. Everything you've ever stood for is gone. You're finished."
Silva stared into Natsu's onyx eyes. Defeat? Gone? Over? None of these words applied to him, the mere thought was ridiculous. Why was this child staring him down in triumph, why was he on the ground, while the very person that was supposed to be the fuel to his ambitions, a mere sacrificial lamb was standing? Anger started boil inside of him, all of his frustration itching to be aimed at something, at someone.
With the corner of his eye, Silva spotted something game changing, a light in the dark tunnel, something that could be considered a gift from the gods themselves. Using all his strength to prevent himself from smiling, Silva slowly stood up and faced Natsu.
"You've truly grown powerful, Natsu." he said. "You have surpassed my expectations. To think you hid this kind of power, you've easily surpassed all of the Commandments, including myself."
Silva's magic started to rise, signalising the beginning of his attack. "However, despite all this power, you are still weak. Bound by your own, foolish self."
The man put up his arms in a familiar fashion, aiming them at Natsu. The Dragon Slayer frowned at the sight. "Do you really think you will hit me with this?"
Silva smirked. "I am most certain of it."
His hands started to glow, as he charged up his attack. Natsu bent his knees, ready to counter it. However, before he could do it, Silva quickly turned around and aimed it somewhere else. Confused, Natsu looked over to where Silva was aiming, and felt his blood freeze.
He watched as Juvia desperately called out to Lucy, who was stuck beneath a boulder, unconscious. The bluenette tried to push the stone away with her magic, however she could barely make it budge. Realisation kicking in, Natsu watched in horror as Silva smiled wickedly, before launching his attack.
ATOMIC BURST!
Erza could only watch in horror, as a giant explosion made its way towards her friends, swallowing and destroying everything on its path, before making contact with its target and blowing up.
"Lucy! Juvia!" called out the knight in despair, her heart sinking in. She threw herself in a mad dash across the floor, heading directly towards the dust cloud, expecting the worst. Praying to gods, she ran as fast as she could, her breath stuck in her throat. When she finally made it, she stopped in her tracks and stared in shock at the sight in front of her.
"Y...you..." stuttered out shocked Juvia, Lucy still by her side, stuck underneath rubble.
In front of Juvia stood Natsu, his arms spread out to the sides in order to block as much of the explosion as possible. He was struggling to breathe, his body completely burned and smoking, his magic almost burned out. His clothes were almost completely gone, his white scarf slowly sliding off his neck onto the ground, the remains of his pants still somewhat hanging on his waist. The ground in front and behind of him was scorched and burned out, with Juvia and Lucy residing on a small island created by Natsu's figure after blocking the attack. He wheezed out one last time, before falling onto his knees and sitting down on his legs, his hands limply falling onto his lap.
Silva's breath was heavy, his face twisted in pain. Using an explosion of such rate in his current state was idiotic, his arms throbbing and hurting from its impact, but it was a bet that paid off greatly. He couldn't help but smirk at the state the very person who put him in this situation was in, sense of triumph once again filling his mind.
"Fate has already been decided, Natsu." he breathed out in-between his pants. "Struggle all you want, but you can not change it. You will die here, just how it's always been meant to be."
Silva started to walk towards the fallen Dragon Slayer, who desperately tried to stand up. Sensing that it was futile, he dropped back onto his knees, his body too heavy to move a single muscle. The God smirked at the sight, as he continued on his way towards the pinkette. Suddenly, he was forced to dodge an incoming sword, followed by a a lightning falling onto him from the sky, shocking him. The Commandment gasped from pain and fell onto his knee, before lifting his head up, sending a hateful look to people responsible for it.
Erza and Laxus were currently standing before Natsu, both of them ready to fight Silva in his stead. Although they were both injured beyond their limits, they couldn't turn a blind eye on someone, who saved their friends from imminent death.
"You will not lay your hands on him, you fiend." growled intimidatingly Erza. "You will not harm anyone ever again."
A vein popped on Silva's forehead. "Titania, Erza Scarlet. Makarov Dreyar's grandson, Laxus. You are both no match against my power. Step aside, or suffer the same fate as Salamander. Do not anger The God."
Laxus tightly clenched his fist and brought it down, causing a lightning to hit Silva once again. The man cried out in pain and fell to his knees yet again, his patience reaching its absolute limits.
"Last time I checked, gods did not bow to humans." said Laxus. "But I think I'm okay with this turn of events."
Silva cried out in fury and threw himself at the pair. The final battle has begun.
End of Chapter 13. To be continued in Chapter 14: Start Anew.
So...yeah. Silva's masterplan was something that sounded way better in my head...heh.
Next chapter will be the conclusion of this arc. I have decided to continue the story and once we're donw with this one, we're off onto Tenrou Island! I have many ideas for this arc. Hell, I have ideas for Tartaros. And Alvarez...sigh.
In next chapter's trivia, I will reveal all of Silva's abilities and what they do, along with full list fo all Commandments.
Either way, I'm tired, it's 4AM and I need my beauty sleep. Do let me know your thoughts in reviews and stay awesome!