After what felt like half an hour, Natsu and Wendy took a stop on their way to the camp.
During the walk, Natsu was quiet, deep in his thoughts. Conflicted was the right word to describe him right now. On one hand, he felt the stinging feeling of defeat, his pride taking yet another powerful hit. On the other, he was glad he could stop himself, before doing something stupid. However, despite that, he didn't do it by himself. Someone had to help him. Again. And that stung.
Makarov's condition has worsened to the point where traveling without treating him could very well be lethal. Natsu took the elder to a cave that was nearby and gently laid him down, before ripping his own left pantleg and shredding it into rags, which were then used by Wendy to bandage the Master's wounds, even if briefly.
Wendy continued to pour her magic into Makarov, her breathing getting heavier with each minute. She was close to her limit.
"Take a short break, Wendy." proposed gently Carla. "Master's breathing is better, you can rest for a moment."
The girl shook her head. "I can't, not yet." she breathed out and extinguished her hands, before wiping her forehead and turning to Natsu.
The older Dragon Slayer was standing in the entrance to the cave, his arms crossed on his chest. He sharpened all of his senses in order to catch any approaching enemies.
"Natsu, come here, please." Wendy called out to him.
Natsu twitched and turned around to face her. "I'm good. Focus on gramps."
"You're injured as well, I can't let you walk around like that."
"I'm fi-"
As soon as he turned around to walk in her direction, he hissed from pain. He then looked down and finally took the extent of his injuries. Both of his hands were burned up to the elbows, along with his face and torso, where he was struck by Zancrow's fists. His forehead and lip were split, both leaking already thickened rivers of blood down his face. With the adrenaline wearing off, he could finally feel just how hurt he was.
"Fine." he gave up. "But eat some air first. Better step out of the cave, old man is weak as he is."
Wendy nodded eagerly and walked out of the cave. In the meantime, Natsu walked up to her spot and sat down with a sigh.
"Are you all right?" asked him Carla with a glimpse of suspicion in her eye.
Natsu looked at the Exceed, slightly confused. "Yeah, I'll manage." he said, gesturing at his body.
"I'm not talking about your wounds."
Realising she didn't have his outside injuries in mind, he looked away. "Yeah, I'm good. Not the first time I got my ass kicked anyway."
Carla's eyes narrowed, not buying it. Although not as much as previously, she was still distrustful of the man.
"Perhaps coming back there with a new strategy would be a good choice." threw in Pantherlily.
Carla looked at him in disbelief. "Did you not see what happened?! Going back there is suicide!"
"And letting him wander around the island like that is even worse." argued Lily. "Master is down, and we have no idea who else confronted, and possibly lost to those Kin. He's also injured, and if we all catch him by surprise, then-"
"No."
Lily was interrupted by Natsu, who took his scarf off and groaned while cracking his neck, a weird sensation of relief spreading across his body. "I can think of at least two people in the guild who can take care of him. Besides, I've got it now. He's a bad match for me, as painful as it is to admit. You asked me how was I" he said, directing his words at Carla "I'm fine. I've calmed down."
Although still distrustful, she did not spot anything out of the ordinary in his eyes. "Okay." nodded gently Carla.
Wendy came back to the cave, her face slightly less tired. "Okay, I'm ready."
Just as she was about to put her hands over Natsu, he extended his right hand to stop her. "Wait. Can you revert this thing first?" he asked her, before passing his scarf to her.
Although confused, she nodded and put her hands over the fabric, slowly purging the absorbed death magic from the muffler.
"Does the color really bother you that much?" asked Lily.
"No, but the moment I took it off, I suddenly felt better, like some weight got off my chest." Natsu shook his head.
"Now that I think about it, it did look like it absorbed that black energy from that man we've met earlier." pointed out Wendy. "Almost like the scarf protected you..."
"A man?" frowned Carla.
"Could it be..." wondered out loud Lily, his paw in his chin. "Could the man you've met be who Grimoire is looking for – Zeref?!"
East side of Tenrou Island
Ultear stared ahead with wide, teary eyes, a wide smile growing on her face with each second. She was currently standing in front of a scowling young man with black hair, who was now slowly getting up from beneath the tree he was sitting under.
"Zeref...my Lord..." breathed the woman, tears forming in her eyes. "I've been looking for you for so long..."
"Who are you?" asked her Zeref, his piercing glare staring Ultear down. "Why do you know about my whereabouts? Is it my power you are seeking for?"
Ultear quickly dropped to her knee and bowed her head in respect. "Your very existence, my Lord."
"Is this the reason you are attacking this place? You and your people?"
"Yes. We are willing to go to great lengths in order to stand by your side." said Ultear, her bow deepening.
Zeref continued to stare at her, before slowly closing his eyes, a short sigh escaping his nose.
"No matter what era, people are still the same. All of the blood spilled, all of the lives claimed, all of the destruction caused in my name. I am unable to find words in any language known to mankind to describe just how much it pains me."
The atmosphere changed. Ultear's smile faded in an instant, giving in to pure fear. The air became uncomfortable to breathe in, and the soft wind ceased to travel through leaves and branches. There was, however, a foul stench spreading in the area at sickening pace.
The smell of death.
"I have no intention of doing anything, or taking a part in anything in this period." proclaimed Zeref, his red eyes grinding Ultear's groveling figure into the ground. "I don't want to see wars being fought in my name, I don't want to see people dying in my name. Stop attacking this island, and leave at once. I shall not repeat myself. Do not anger me any further."
Every muscle in Ultear's body froze. Sweat dropped onto her hands from her face, her wide eyes glued to the ground. She knew she was one wrong move away from death. Everything she'd worked for, gone in an instant. And that's exactly why she could not back down this easily.
Although scared beyond imagination, Ultear reached out to her back pocket and dashed at the Black Mage at the same time, catching him by surprise. Just when he was about to swallow the woman with a black wave of death, Ultear pressed her hand against his chest, a weird piece of paper in her palm.
As soon as she touched him, Zeref gasped and grabbed her wrist, which was now glowing.
Ultear's body was drenched in cold sweat, her chest rising and falling in rapid fashion. She placed a bet on her own life, something that made her almost pass out from horror – but it paid off.
Zeref's grip started to weaken, as he looked at Ultear with half-open eyes, strength leaving his body. "What have you...done to me…?" he gasped.
Ultear calmed her loud breathing down and smirked. "I have jammed the Ethernano inside your body. No matter how powerful a mage is, every single one of us is the same. To us, mages, Ethernano is like air. We get weaker if we are cut off from it. And that's exactly what I just did. I jammed your body with a magic seal, that prevents Ethernano from entering and leaving your body, In few seconds, you will shut down for a certain period of time, rendering you unconscious."
Zeref groaned and stumbled back, his legs slowly giving in. "No..." he moaned "You have no idea what you're doing….please….don't…."
"It's okay, my Lord." assured him Ultear in a kind, warm voice. "I will not harm you."
Zeref dropped to his knees and tried to fight back one last time, before falling onto his right side with a painful frown, unconscious.
Ultear took one last deep breath and smiled at the sight. She walked up to the fallen Zeref and gently picked him up, before stationing herself by the nearby tree, with Zeref in her arms.
"It's okay..." she hummed while caressing his hair. "No one will take you away from me..."
Elfman was once again blasted away along with the rock he was standing behind. He rolled on the ground and used the dust to get behind cover once again, with Evergreen still hiding behind hers.
It's been 5 minutes since they've encountered the man who claimed to be named Rustyrose, and ever since that moment, they've been on the defense. The Kin was simply standing out in the open, with multiple canons that appeared out of thin air placed behind him, shooting away at Fairy Tail mages.
"Ah, the sounds of fear, cannonballs and breaking rocks...truly a symphony for my ears!" hummed Rustyrose and raised his hands, before motioning them in the air, as if he was a conductor directing an orchestra.
"Messed up bastard.." growled Elfman and wiped the blood off his forehead, where he was struck by a piece of debris earlier on. "Where the hell did he even get these guns from?!"
"I don't know, they simply appeared behind him as soon as he introduced himself." replied Ever and gently peeked out from her hiding. "He's been firing at us without reloading a single one of them, so they can't be normal. I think his magic might be just like Lucy's, meaning he can summon things." she deduced and got back behind her rock, before smirking at Elfman. "But that's good."
The giant blinked. "Why so?"
"It means, that if we manage to close the distance, he will be an easy target. Summoning mages are weak in close quarters."
"Easier said than done." sighed Elfman. "Watch out!"
Another rain of cannonballs was fired in their direction. Elfman quickly ran to Ever and grabbed her just in time to take her away from the exploding rocks. The debris hit his back, making him grit his teeth in pain.
"Put me down, I can walk on my own!" yelled Evergreen and set herself free from his arms, only to then be blasted away along with him by an explosion that set off just under their feet.
"That one must have hurt." smirked Rustyrose. "I'm surprised you've managed to dodge for so long, anyway."
In the dust cloud, Evergreen hissed from pain and looked at her injured leg, before moving it to assess the damage. She then looked to her side where Elfman was. The man was already back on his feet, his figure guarding his partner against any possible incoming attacks.
"Can you walk?" he asked without looking at her.
"I don't need your concern." smirked the woman and also stood up.
"You can't turn him into stone, can you?"
"Not if he's wearing glasses. We'll have to take them off."
Elfman nodded and cracked his neck. "I'll distract him. You work on taking him down. If he really is as weak as you've said, one attack should be enough."
"Alright." nodded Ever and braced herself.
Elfman took a deep breath and ran out of the cloud, charging directly at his opponent.
"Growing desperate, aren't we?" taunted him the Kin. "I cannot blame you, not everyone can last this long against this beautiful magic of mine."
"Shut your trap!" roared Elfman and dashed even faster than before.
Rusty simply smirked in response and snapped his fingers, the cannons behind him firing at once at Elfman.
The impact of the explosion was so great it made him stagger backwards, with Elfman being swallowed by fire and smoke.
Just few seconds later. Elfman emerged from the explosion, still running, much to Rustyrose's shock. He was clad in iron-hard scales, his arms crossed on his torso and face in a guard. He was missing pieces of his armor in several places, and blood was flowing down his limbs and head from the damage, but he was still more than good to go.
TAKE OVER: LIZARDMAN!
Elfman continued to push through despite being injured, much to Rustyrose's growing dismay.
"Are brawns the only thing good about you?!" he asked and fired away once again, only to be tanked by Elfman once more. "Very well. Let's see you get past this!" he then snapped his fingers and made the cannons merge into one, giant one.
Despite all that, Elfman still continued to push through. Just when he was about to get hit by yet another shell, he smirked, with multiple magic bullets being shot from behind him.
Evergreen used her partner as a decoy and walked around the fighting zone, successfully getting in position suited enough to destroy the gun.
All of the bullets hit the cannon, breaking it into pieces. Rustyrose turned around to look at his creation, and at the same time, Elfman changed into his Beast Form and kicked the ground one last time, before striking the Kin in the stomach. The blow was so hard his fist sunk deep into the man's stomach, causing his glasses to fall off his face, with vomit mixed with blood escaping his mouth.
"Game over." smirked Elfman and gave his strike one last push. Much to his shock, Rustyrose's body started to crack, before shattering into hundreds of pieces of earth. The giant took two awkward steps after being carried by the weight of his own blow and looked at the pile in confusion.
"What the hell?" he frowned, with Evergreen approaching him with a matching expression. "Did you turn him into stone after his glasses fell off?" he asked her.
Evergreen shook her head. "No. I don't know what it is either. Better stay on guar-"
"That is a wise decision."
Before either of them could react, they were struck by something big and powerful, making them gasp from pain. They were blasted away to the side, both of them rolling on the bumpy ground. Elfman stopped after smashing into the ruins of a brick wall, while Evergreen was more gracious to get on her feet and slide on the ground while crouching, her left hand she used to support herself with slowing her down.
Her eyes widened in shock at the sight of an uninjured, and clapping Rustyrose, who walked out from behind a tree. There was no sight of the thing that hit them just couple seconds ago, and that frightened her.
"Well done." praised them the Kin. "You've earned a small glimpse of my respect."
"What the hell is going on in here?" growled Elfman and freed himself from the debris. "I just hit you with all I had!"
"Correction." Rustyrose raised his finger and waved it gently. "You did not hit me, you've hit this." he said, before snapping his fingers. Something started to grow out of the ground right beside him, and couple seconds later, there were two Rustyrose's standing before Elfman and Evergreen, much to their shock.
"What the hell are you?" asked him Ever, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "What kind of magic is this?"
The Kin merely smirked and snapped his fingers again, his creation shattering back to the soil.
"Telling something of this importance to trash such as yourself is not only unworthy of my breath, it would only confuse your inferior brains." proclaimed Rusty and massaged his chin in the meantime.
"Say what now?" growled Elfman and bent his knees, ready to strike back.
"I'm saying you'll die too fast to understand the beauty of my powers." replied Rustyrose and snapped his fingers.
As soon as he did that, a giant monster started to materialize behind him out of thin air. Elfman could only watch the creature tower over him, its fangs exposed and its sight drilling a hole in his body.
"W-what is this..." gasped Elfman.
"This must be the thing he used to attack us a minute ago." deduced Evergreen.
"How very observant." remarked the Kin sarcastically. "Allow me to introduce you to my Guardian Siant Beast, Belcusas the Thunderclap."
"He has two different names?!"
Rustyrose adjusted his glasses and pointed at the pair with his right arm. "Go forth, Belcusas."
The beast roared and raised its right arm, before striking at Elfman. The man could only throw himself to the side to avoid the punch, which split the ground beneath his feet. The Take Over mage jumped and punched the beast right in the jaw, however the punch did little to no damage. The Guardian took its fist out of the soil and threw a backfist at Elfman, swatting him away like a fly. The giant flew into another wall, before disappearing in a cloud of dust and broken bricks.
"Elfman!" Ever called out to her partner and summoned her wings, before flying away from a punch thrown in her direction. She raised her right arm, before bringing it down onto the beast.
FAIRY MACHINEGUN: LEPRECHAUN!
Dozens of magic bullets hit Belcusas straight in the face and chest, exploding upon impact. The monster was taken in by a cloud of dust, with Evergreen hovering in the air just above it.
The beast was, however, unharmed by the attack and swatted the woman like a fly, making her crash to the ground.
"Your wings are certainly a problem..." pointed out the Kin. "Let's get rid of you first."
Belcusas raised his fist and brought it down onto Evergreen, only to be blocked by Elfman, who caught the strike with his body.
"Can't you….petrify this thing?!" he asked his partner, his voice strained by the effort he was putting into holding the beast in place.
"I can't petrify things that are not human." replied Evergreen and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
"Go for the guy, then!"
"Alright, hold this thing here!"
Ever dashed at Rustyrose and readied a ball of light in her right hand, only to then throw it into the ground. A cloud of dust covered her figure entirely, making it impossible for Rustyrose to predict where she could be hiding. Knowing full well he was her target, he merely smirked and extended his right arm to the side, before reciting.
"I am the King of The Underworld. This arm cuts through everything with a deep black blade..."
Evergreen reappeared directly above him and prepared to launch her attack, sure of her victory. The Kin's arm was now changed into five thick, black, and stiff tentacles, with grey claws at the end of them.
"Disappear to the edge of darkness." ordered Rustyrose and struck Evergreen with his right arm, causing her to crash to the ground hard, blood spilling onto it from the small cut on her right side.
"Evergreen!" called Elfman and lost his focus, which was used against him by Belcusas, who punched Elfman into the ground and then kicked him, making him roll on the ground in his partner's direction. The man dropped out of his Beast Form and laid there, unable to stand up.
"Just...what kind of magic is this..." he wondered out loud once again. None of this made any sense. Even if he had the ability to summon things, everything he's done up to this point did not match at all. From earth clones, to real, metal cannons, through beasts too powerful to take over, and now partial Take Over? "Just what the hell do you want from us?! From this island?!"
"I suppose curiosity really transcends over logic and common sense." sighed Rustyrose. "Very well, I guess I can give you a small glimpse, if it's to soothe your troubled minds before your end."
He snapped his fingers and a picture of a young man with black hair appeared next to him. A man very familiar to the pair.
"My magic is the closest thing to the abyss of the magical arts. It comes with great cost and side effects. If used in the wrong way, it could bring a tragedy onto this world...ah, such cruel destiny..." the man dramatically covered his forehead with his hand and shook his head, irritating Elfman. "But, as soon as we acquire Zeref..." he pointed at the picture. "...this tragedy will not happen ever again. It will be the beginning of the new age of magic!"
Evergreen's eyes widened at the sight of the picture. Zeref?! This guy is...Zeref?!The legendary Black Mage? On this island?!
"Our goal is the creation of the ultimate magic world, the true world of magic, where chaos and darkness dictate the rules!"
Rusty rose adjusted his glasses and smiled in sinister fashion, his demeanor changing drastically. "Those, who cannot use magic, cannot survive in this ultimate world of ours! Even if they could, they would be begging to be sent to hell instead!"
Ever and Elfman simply watched his in shock, as he thrust his head backwards and roared into the sky. „Isn't this wonderful?! A world just for us, where trash unable to use magic will go extinct! As soon as Zeref becomes the new King of this world, the ultimate magic world will be complete!"
Elfman grit his teeth in fury and slowly started to get up.
"Those without magic will be annihilated! It will be paradise only for mages! The inferior race will perish from this world! I have been waiting for this day for so long!" exclaimed Rustyrose, his voice becoming hoarse from screaming and laughing at the same time.
His monologue was interrupted by a small earthquake that shook the ground beneath his feet. Elfman struck his fist into the soil so hard he cracked it, and slowly started to get up.
"Erase those without magic, and create a world only for mages?" he repeated through his teeth. "Screw this!" he roared and got on his knees. "Only 10% of this world can use magic, everyone else is unable to use any magic of their own at all!"
"That's exactly right. And this 90% will perish, as a price for our paradise." stated calmly the Kin.
"And you really think we're just gonna let you do that?!"
"Why wouldn't you? Do you really think they are necessary in this world? People who cannot use magic are a liability. They are almost as useful as candles, that cannot be burned. Even worse, they are parasites, preying on this beautiful Earth."
"This world exists only because everyone is supporting each other, regardless of their abilities!" roared Elfman, now back on his feet.
"Support?" frowned Rusty. "are you perhaps referring to your guild? That's your ego talking. What you call support is in fact devouring riches from the powerless, doesn't this put us in the same boat?"
"You're wrong." Elfman shook his head. "It is because of us they can live in peace, it is because of us they can rest peacefully in their homes at night. We provide them strength, and the commoners reward us. We can't live without them, just how they can't live without us. These bonds of trust are what's keeping this world together, that's how guilds are born!"
Rustyrose could not stop the mocking laughter that escaped his mouth.
"Don't you dare laugh at my guild!" roared Elfman.
"Can you blame me?!" yelled Rustyrose in amusement. "I simply do not understand you people! Why do you subjugate yourselves to these inferior beings, who treat you like cattle? Is this what you think being a guild is? Speaking of guilds, why do you people consider yourselves to be the saviors of the world? You're just a guild, like hundreds of other groups of mages. Who gave you the right to act like heroes?! Let me tell you – your ego did. You are not doing this to help people, you're doing this to satisfy your own sensation of self-righteousness. Trash like you is the reason humans look down on mages!"
"I'm fine with being trash!" screamed Elfman in anger. "But I will not let you call my friends trash! I won't stand for it!"
Rustyrose sighed and adjusted his glasses. "I am through with this. Someone of your caliber is unable to comprehend the terror of Zeref's horror, and the beauty it carries. When faced with his true power, kneeling and cowering in fear will be your only option."
He then pointed his right arm towards the sky and snapped his fingers. "I am ending this farce of a battle. You have wasted enough of my breath and energy as it is."
"Elfman, he's doing something! Be careful!" warned Evergreen from the sidelines.
"You don't have to tell me...that..." he replied, but his voice gave in to pure terror, as he looked up into the sky, his face paling.
"Giving such a poetic end is too big of a praise, but I am willing to endure this for the sake of the view I am about to witness." smirked Rustyrose.
Elfman could only stare in fear, as a meteor of the size of a carriage, maybe even bigger, was slowly, but surely descending onto the island. It was headed directly at him.
Disregarding his opponent completely, Elfman quickly turned on the balls of his feet and dashed towards Evergreen as fast as he could, in the meantime re-entering his Lizardman form. He grabbed his partner and picked her up, hugging her figure closely to his torso, as he continued to run. It was only then she spotted the incoming rock, and froze in his arms, not a single sound escaping her mouth.
"Run, oh fairies. Try to escape this end of yours, but know, that it is futile." hummed Rustyrose and motioned his hands in the air, as if he was playing an instrument. "Return to the earth, and become the foundation for the superior race befitting of ruling this world."
The meteor crashed into the island, shaking it to its very core. A powerful shockwave spread across the entire island, knocking down everyone unprepared.
Rustyrose hid behind two massive, steel shields and watched the destruction in pure bliss. In the meantime, on the other side of the battlefield, Evergreen stared at Elfman with wide eyes, as he covered her from the danger with his own body. His scales were completely ripped off, more lacerations decorating his body, but both of them were okay.
"You okay?" he asked her through pain.
"Yeah...thanks." she replied and looked away, embarrassed. "I think I've figured out his magic, or at least how it works."
Elfman groaned and got off her, reverting back to his normal form in the meantime. "What did you realise?"
"Cannons, meteors, earth clones, beasts...no matter how we look at it, he's summoning those things, and they simply don't match themselves. Or so it would seem..."
Evergreen stood up and grabbed her aching left shoulder. "I'm guessing by a long shot here, but I think his magic allows him to summon stuff he's seen, or experienced in his life before. Which means, that he probably has access to many different things we haven't seen yet."
"How does knowing this help us?" asked Elfman.
"Did you notice? He can't hold more than one summoning for long. When he struck me with that arm of his, the beast you were fighting disappeared seconds later, while his arm stayed like that for longer. I think that the more stuff he summons, the shorter their life is."
"In other words, if we were to force him to summon more than just one thing..." wondered Elfman.
"We could tire him out, or weaken him, giving us a chance." finished his thought Ever. "His glasses are the main problem. If you could take them off, I'd petrify him, and that'd be the end of it."
Elfman sighed through his nose and cracked his neck. "Well, we don't have too many options here. Let's do this."
The pair nodded to each other and took one last deep breath, before running out of the dust cloud they were hiding in. Their charge took Rustyrose by surprise, but he quickly retaliated by summoning a new set of cannons. This time, however, the pair was ready and took the first shot, with Evergreen sending a wave of magic bullets, while Elfman through a rock, both of which forced the Kin to change his position.
Elfman quickly dashed at Rusty and jumped in the air, his right fist retracted. In response to that, the Kin summoned his black arm once again and struck Elfman in his left side. The giant tanked the strike and wrapped his arms around the arm, holding it in place.
"Gotcha." he smirked to surprised, blood flowing down the corner of his mouth. Elfman gripped the arm harder and smirked to himself. "The foundation of Take Over is knowing your opponent, isn't that right...Sis?" Soon after, his right arm started to glow, much to Rustyrose's shock. "This arm is mine now!" exclaimed the giant and retracted his right arm back, which was now the perfect copy of the one he's been holding with his left hand.
"My Jet Black Sword!" gasped the Kin and put up a guard with his left arm, at the same time reciting another mantra. "That which dwells in my left hand is a golden shield, that pushes back everything!"
Elfman's punch was stopped at the last possible moment, as it struck a massive, heavy golden shield that appeared in Rusty's left hand. The Kin smirked and peeked out from behind the shield. "How naive. Things are not that easy, you know-" his taunt was stopped by the sight of Elfman holding his glasses in his left hand, which were then destroyed into pieces. "My real target were your glasses!" said Elfman. "Ever!"
Evergreen smirked and pulled her hair behind her ear. "Only the Thunder Legion is allowed to shorten my name like this, but today, I'll make an exception for you!"
"Oh shi-" gasped Rustyrose.
"Good job, Elfman." smirked Ever and opened her eyes wider.
STONE EYES!
Rustyrose screamed loud in agony, making Evergreen's smirk widen in joy. That, however, was shortlived, as Rustyrose quickly stopped screaming and snickered in amusement, before smashing Elfman to the ground with his shield, much to her shock.
Before she could react, she was also struck by the golden shield, which blew her back.
"H...how?!" gasped Elfman from the ground.
"Why didn't my Stone Eyes work?!" despaired Evergreen. Her eyes widened in shock upon looking up.
Rustyrose was once again wearing his glasses, the very same Elfman destroyed a minute earlier.
"Glasses?! But I just destroyed them!" yelled Elfman.
"The power of imagination has no boundaries." smirked the Kin and adjusted his new glasses. "My magic is Arc of Embodiment, the power to materialize anything I want from my imagination."
"That's just ridiculous..." said Ever, close to bursting into tears out of frustration.
"The embodiment of dreams is connected to the root of all magic. Of course, there are many restrictions, limitations, and laws that I must obey. I could very easily kill myself with this magic if I was careless. However, for someone such as me, it is an invincible, and undefeated magic! I have never been bested in my whole life!" exclaimed Rustyrose through laughter.
"Damn...it..." groaned Elfman, too tired to move.
"Now then, it is time to finish this." the Kin snapped his fingers. "Come forth, Tower of Dingir! Devour and crush these fairies with all your sadness, and return them to the earth!"
A giant tower began to grow out of the ground, swallowing Elfman and Evergreen in, rendering them immobile.
"Elfman...I'm sorry." said Evergreen through tears. "If someone else was your partner, this wouldn't have happened..."
The giant looked at her in shock, but smiled shortly afterwards. "You idiot...it's because of you I got this far. I'm the one who should be apologizing."
Evergreen looked at him with teary eyes and reached out to him with her hand. "Elfman..."
"Thank you, Ever."
"Scatter to the depths of darkness, trash." ordered Rustyrose and swiped his right arm to the side.
As soon as Elfman's hand touched his partner's, the pair was taken in by a pillar of white energy, that swallowed them whole. Soon after the entire tower was taken in, as the pillar expanded further and further with each second. Rustyrose adjusted his glasses once again and turned away from the scene, before leaving. After a minute, the pillar dispelled, revealing a large crater, with unconscious Elfman and Evergreen lying in the very center of it, their hands still connected.
Fairy Tail has received yet another defeat.
Near the shore of Tenrou Island
"Hurry, tend to the wounded!" ordered Lahar to his men, who were currently trying to save their comrades, put out the fire and save the drowning at the same time. "Repairs to the facility can wait until later! Do not let your fellow comrades die in here, that is an order!"
"Yes, sir!"
Lahar sighed stressfully and looked around. It was terrible. Over a half of his men was dead already, taken in by the initial explosion. The rest was either dying, or died from fire and collateral damage that came in the form of sharp pieces of wood and metal flying in all directions. He himself was wounded, his hurt forehead already wrapped in the piece of his cloak he ripped in order to stop the bleeding.
It took the enemy one attack to render their forces completely useless and defenseless. The powerlessness was slowly getting to him, the unfamiliar sensation of anger filling every inch of his being. Was the Council really this hopeless?
"Those, who can move, follow me!" he ordered out loud. "We are going to charge onto the island! All men prepared for battle should-"
His orders interrupted by Mest, who teleported right behind him, startling the man. Lahar turned around and his gaze softened, seeing that his friend was safe. "Doranbolt! I am so glad to see you're safe! What are those wounds?!" he asked in concern, only now noticing the burns and cuts on his friend's body.
"I'm fine." replied Doranbolt. "How's the ship? What's the situation?"
"The worst. We've lost many men, and this ship can barely float on the ocean. We'll have to move onto emergency boats, that have somehow survived."
"And the communication lacrima?"
"in tact, we're calling for backup as we speak. What the hell happened on that island?!"
"Fairy Tail, Grimoire Heart and Zeref. A three-way war has started in there. Grimoire Heart was the one who attacked the ship, Fairy Tail is fighting them off as we speak."
"Grimoire Heart….and Zeref?!" gasped shocked Lahar.
"I am borrowing the lacrima! I have to contact the HQ!" said Doranbolt and passed his friend, heading towards the communication room.
"Three biggest obstacles in the magic world...gathered in one place?! The sheer thought is too ridiculous to even consider!" said Lahar and massaged the bridge of his nose, completely lost. "If we report this catastrophy to the HQ...there's a chance the Light will be dropped..."
Doranbolt stopped in his tracks and quickly turned around, distraught. "Etherion?!"
"If it comes to that, we'll have to obey our orders and act accordingly."
"Wait a second!" yelled Doranbolt. "It is true Fairy Tail is not on the best terms with the Council, but they do not deserve to be put in the same bag as Zeref, or Grimoire Heart!"
"If it makes you feel better, then know that I agree with you, however, it is not for us to decide." stated grimly Lahar.
Doranbolt lowered his head and clenched his fists in frustration. He'd lie if he said he didn't enjoy his time spend at the guild, even if he was an undercover agent tasked with taking it down. The sheer thoughts of seeing them being vaporized pained him greatly.
"Now please, contact the HQ." ordered Lahar and walked away to regroup his forces.
"The Ultimate world of magic, you say?" repeated Loke and scoffed sarcastically. "What a load of crap."
"You're going to erase humans unable to use magic?!" asked Cana.
"It doesn't make sense!" exclaimed Lucy. "No one will benefit from this! It will be a horrible world!"
Gray did not say a thing, his glare of disgust speaking for him.
The group was currently standing before Caprico, who'd just finished explaining his guild's goal.
"It is true that I have also do not fully understand Master Hades' motives, but I believe that only those who know the abyss of magic can." stated calmly the Kin. "Zeref is on this island, that is a fact. When we get our hands on him, the world will be enveloped in magic, it will be reborn."
"Cut the bullshit!" said Gray and punched the palm of his hand. "You need a better reason to barge into our territory like this!"
"Master Hades has given us two missions." said Caprico and lowered himself, ready to strike. "One, to find the Black Mage Zeref, and bring him on board out ship. The other being the complete annihilation of Fairy Tail."
"I'd like to see you try." smirked Gray.
"Wait." Loke stepped in and extended his arm, alarming his comrades to stay where they are. "I'll take care of this guy. Since he's one of the Seven Kin of Purgatory, it means there are six more like him. Go look for the others, and help them."
"What are you talking about?" frowned Gray. "All 4 of us couldn't take him on, and you want to do it alone?"
"That's because there is more to his magic than you think." explained calmly Loke. "He uses Human Subordination Magic, He can momentarily weaken humans' magic and battle skills, taking away vast chunks of their power. However..."
His body started to glow, and after couple seconds, he was back in his trademark suit, now in his spirit form. "...it will not work on me, a spirit. And, as you've probably realised by now, he's also a spirit. The Spirit of Goat, Capricorn."
Lucy frowned sadly, while the others looked at him in shock. "Loke, I..."
"Do not speak a single word." he ordered her harshly and pointed at Capricorn with his finger. "I request a one-on-one duel between spirits, Capricorn!"
Capricorn's sunglasses reflected the light, as he adjusted them. "I see. I was wondering whether you've forgotten you're a spirit yourself, Leo. I accept your challenge."
Loke nodded to his opponent and turned to his friends. "Everyone, please, go now."
"But, Loke..." began Lucy.
"Hurry up and go!"
His scream was sudden and terrifying. Lucy stared at the back of his head, stunned. She then felt a tug on her collar, as Gray grabbed her shirt and started to drag her away from the scene. "We can't fight this guy, not with our magic being weakened. Let's leave this to him!"
"But..."
"It's hard for me, too, Lucy, but Gray's right." said soothly Cana. "Still, he didn't have to yell like that..."
"I'm sure there's more to it." said Gray. "He's not that kind of a guy."
Lucy watched her spirit in concern, and freed herself from Gray's grip. "Loke!" she called out to him.
The spirit turned to her, annoyed she was still here. Lucy put her right hand on her chest and pierced him with a stare he's never seen from her before. "You better come back to me, you hear me?! No matter what!"
Her order was easy, and yet reassuring. Loke couldn't help but smile at how much strength her words gave him.
Capricorn watched the blonde and frowned gently. "I will not let them escape. This girl..."
It took Loke a moment to lit up his right fist and plant it deep into the goat's stomach, knocking every bit of air out of his body. Capricorn gasped in pain, but still managed to swipe his fingers in the air.
Loke heard three screams behind him and turned around, only to see his friends being sucked in by three purple portals. He pulled his arm out and let Capricorn drop to his knees before him.
"Guys!" he called out to them and started to run in their direction, only to see them vanishing in the air along with the portals. "What did you do with them?!"
"I have scattered them over the island at random locations." explained the kneeling goat. "If I am unable to pursue them, then the least I can do is split them up and render them unable to rely on each other. Now, then..." he said and stood up, while dusting his suit. "It is my turn to ask questions. This blonde woman...she is your master, is she not?"
Loke bent his knees and lit his hands in light once again.
"You talk too much."
Lucy fell out of the portal with a scream, before falling onto her butt. She winced from pain and slowly stood up, before looking around. "Gray? Cana?!" she called out, silence being her only answer. "What was that…?" she wondered under her nose and scratched her head. "Looks like we've been separated...I better start looking for someone, before-"
Before she could finish her sentence, she was blasted away by a wave of wind, that knocked her out of the bushes she landed in, straight onto a plain on the west shore of the island.
Lucy rolled on the ground for couple meters, before stopping herself by digging her nails into the ground. She quickly stood up and put her hand on her key holster, with a figure walking out of the shadows.
"I guess I've just received a gift." said a young girl, not older than Lucy. She was wearing a red sleeveless shirt with Grimoire Heart's logo imprinted on its front, along with white shorts that reached down her mid-thigh. She had high black boots and two knives holstered by each of her hips. She had short, black hair with messy bangs covering her blue eyes. "Hello there."
"Who are you?" asked Lucy, cautious of the girl's next move.
"Name's Rica. Sorry beautiful, but you'll have to die here." said the girl and created cyclones of winds in each of her hands. "Master's orders."
Lucy gulped and opened her holster. She felt like she's been literally thrown into the eye of a cyclone. And, against beliefs, it was not calm.
Natsu wrapped his scarf back on his neck and cracked it, at the same time moving his fingers around in order to test them. Wendy has finally healing his injuries, or at least sealing them shut. Some of the skin grew back on his burns, and his cuts were practically gone.
"Thanks, Wendy." he smiled at the girl and gently tousled her hair.
"Now then, I think we can move further at a bigger pace." proposed Pantherlily. "Master no longer needs treatment during the travel, and Natsu is back at 100%. At this rate, we will reach the camp in no time."
"Actually..." threw in Natsu. "...you guys go without me. I've got something to do."
Carla looked at him, shocked. "Do you even hear yourself? We have to stay together, otherwise-"
"Gramps doesn't need any more healing for now, plus, there are still other people out there, who may be hurt, or in danger." interrupted her Natsu. "I'm gonna go and start finding others one by one. Then, I will find you guys and we will go to the camp together. There is a cave, right over there" he pointed at the small hill in the distance, with the entrance to the cave visible even from their current spot. "Go there, and wait for me. I'll be back as soon as I find someone."
"But-" Wendy tried to reason with him, but Lily tugged her skirt with his paw to stop her.
"He's right." said the Exceed, earning him shocked looks from the girls.
"Even you?" sighed Carla.
"If nobody has attacked us here for this long, then it means the enemy has not reached this far. Besides, the distance between here and that cave is very small. We can fly there with no problems, while Natsu looks for others. We can move from cave to cave, and slowly, but surely pick up our members one by one. By the time we reach the camp, we will have everyone with us." reasoned Lily, with Natsu nodding to him in approval.
The tabby did not have an argument for this. She simply sighed and nodded, the idea of flying their way convincing her more than she'd like to admit.
"So, there you have it. I'll be back soon." stretched Natsu and started to walk out of the cave. I can smell someone already anyway."
"Natsu!" called out to him Wendy.
The older Dragon slayer turned around and looked at her concerned face, as she walked up to him. "Be careful."
Natsu smiled gently and patted her head. "Yeah." he threw in farewell, and left the cave, before running off into the wild.
Carla massaged her temples and spread her wings. "I can't believe you let him go. We still need to-"
"He's going to hunt for the Kin." said quietly Lily and also spread his wings. This earned him a shocked look from the tabby.
"You knew that, and you still let him go?!"
"We wouldn't be able to stop him, even if we wanted to. It's better this way. As long as he doesn't run into this Zancrow person, he should be alright. Anyone he meets on his way will be safe with him. Let's focus on our task and relocate." he said and gently picked Makarov up by his armpits and lifted the elder in the air. "Wendy, we're going."
Wendy bit her lip gently and nodded. She was currently praying that what she's seen a moment ago was just the work of her imagination, but deep down, she knew that it might as well be denial.
Because the look he had in his eyes when he left, has, once again, rendered her unable to determine who exactly left the cave right now.
And it was becoming terrifying.
End of Chapter 24. To be continued in Chapter 25: Taboo.
Not really something worthy of being a comeback chapter, but I tried to make it as interesting as possible.
I have altered Rusty's magic a little. It might seem powerful and OP, but I've made sure to make it well balanced. You'll see.
I have decided to completely erase the part where Cana literally betrays Lucy and almost gets her killed. Instead, I had Zoldeo splitting them, and I will have them fight some OC's of the caliber of Yowazu and Kawazu. These fights won't be long, and will tie in with the story quite nicely.
Next chapter will focus on Loke and Zoldeo, as well as Lucy and Cana. As promised, it will be up next week.
Sorry for the break once again, and thank you for being here for me. I love you guys.
I hope you've enjoyed the chapter! see you soon!