Chapter 33: Dancing with Monsters…Saved from the Brink
AN: Welcome back! Ok like I mentioned I had actually had this chapter partially done. So I continued to work on this one until I had it done.
Though I am happy to get this one done for you all. Thank you so much for your kind words and reviews from the last chapter, honestly I am honored by all the high praise.. I have had that chapter planned our for MONTHS. But of course I needed to get to it in the story. So it was very satisfying to finally get to post it.
And guess what? Got plenty more up my sleeves! Please enjoy!
[Naruto OST: Hidan Theme]
The Shadow was silent as he watched them run, vanishing into Shikamaru's shadow and racing for safety. Natsu and his sister made to step forward, but the Dark Lord held up a hand.
He was silent for a moment, before finally giving his order.
Sauron finally spoke, "Katara, go after them, and summon the Avatar, I'm sure he is aware of the activity by now."
The water witch nodded before charging after them. Natsumi made to move but again was stopped by her brother.
"No, I will need you here to swat this nuisance quickly," he said, causing her to nod.
"Alright brother," she conceded before letting her hellish chakra let loose, slowly beginning to materialize the Nine-Tails.
Leo summoned his own power in challenge, "We won't be taken down so easily, traitor."
The Dark Lord stepped forward as his body began to catch fire, taking the form of the flaming eye. Even with her power, Natsumi could feel the immense heat coming from her brother.
"Fool, we may both be of the Maiar," the fires vanished, revealing his Titan Form, "But before me, you are nothing!"
The Dark Lord's wrath came down upon them.
[Outer City]
Had any been walking they would surely have screamed as a lone shadow spat out it's occupants. With Shikamaru himself was on the verge of passing out from the overuse of chakra, the others were forced to make the rest of the way out themselves.
"Shika are you okay?" Ino asked her colleague, who could only nod as he wheezed.
"We need to get out of here," he wheezed, but Tenten in her distraught state couldn't help but scream.
"We can't leave! We just left Neji drooling on the floor!" she cried out, only for Ino to snap back.
"And we'll all be bleeding out if we go back for him!" she screamed, "I don't want to leave him either, but we have no choice!"
As they were arguing with the distraught woman, they failed to notice that what was once a simple breeze was now a hurricane. Building and rubble kicked up into the air as the deadly winds whipped around them to form a tornado with only themselves in the center…with another lone occupant who's eyes and the tattoo upon his head gleamed like pale moonlight beneath a dark hood.
As the Avatar and now stood between them and the exit they realized…he was no older than a young teen!
Standing alongside him were two others, a short girl perhaps who was blind in green garments, and another who's clothing and appearance was eerily similar to the Water Witch with a blade and hybrid of a hatchet and boomerang.
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you pass," he apologized, something that caught everyone's attention. All other minions were more than content to rip them apart, but something was different about this boy and his companions as the menacing glow faded away to show his blue eyes.
As his eyes returned to normal, the tempest itself faded as well to show the entire city sector around them had been reduced to rubble. As the Shinobi and Magi tried to see a way out, they were all disturbed to hear a familiar, sadistic voice coo behind them.
"Oooh, well done Aang, the master will be pleased…I'll be sure to thank you properly later," she giggled at the blush and shame on his face as the other two shudder in discomfort and refuse to look upon her as well. The perfect moment as their leader whispered two words.
"Take them," and with unnatural speed Kiba and Akamaru as his clone with Ino and Shino knocked the group out before they could delay them any further.
"Tenten, seal them," with her ANBU training kicking in, she questioned none of this as she sealed them both into a scroll. No matter how many times the Magi witnessed this, they would never get used to the capabilities of the Shinobi, nor their ability to shut their emotions off if only for a moment to carry out an order.
[Fairy Tail: Absolute Demon]
It was a good thing too that they had acted with such speed, as they all felt the sudden shake of an explosion rumble through their feet, along with a bright light as Hellfire and Evil Chakra ripped apart the palace of the once Great Earth Kingdom
And from it, twelve golden flames blasted through the sky, and over the walls to crash on the other side. An ill omen for them all.
"No…" Lucy cried as she knew that the Celestials had been cast down. Though she had little opportunity to contemplate this as there were two new explosions from behind them, not too far from them followed by a massive impact that rocked the city district.
As the dust cleared, their eyes all went wide as they saw three formerly of their party
The Demoness, the Dragon, and towering over them with swishing tails whipping through the sky was the dreaded Nine Tails Fox consisting of crimson ethereal energy and black seal marks. Within its skull could be seen it's Jinchuriki, her hair whipping about violently. To see just a terrible and wrathful sight, it was like everything that they had heard in the stories.
"I haven't felt this much wrathful intent since Acnologia!" Wendy whimpered, at the moment even Carla couldn't encourage her, as it took all of her mental courage to retain her Neko form.
High above them, Natsumi looked down upon her former comrades as she played her brother's words through her mind.
"Our people were raised with stories of the Wrath of the Nine-Tails," he had said, "Show them the beast that we were sacrificed to hold at bay, drive them out of the city."
At this, she closed her eyes as she heard the Nine-Tails in her mind, "So it seems you have made your decision."
With a calm, resigned voice she responded, "So it seems…"
As she opened her eyes, she let her rage loose, and so too did the monster. It's tails tore apart buildings as they were made of sand, its tails and claws ripping through the city as they her two smaller allies began to do the same as they worked their way to their quarry.
"My god…" Erza gasped as she witnessed the beast that she had heard Naruto and his sister kept from the world. And now they were the target for it's wrath.
"We need to move!" Kiba barked, snapping everyone out of their stupor. And so with no other course of action they turned on their heels and ran in hopes to remain among the living. But their flight was not to be an easy one.
As the first to encounter them was the Demoness, her hellish wings spread wide in a threatening display.
"Found you!" she said like she were playing a game with them. As she prepared to blast them with a dark orb of energy, Erza charged and tackled her friend whilst donning her Speed Armor.
"GO!" she screamed as she began to combat with her friend, dodging the reptilian tail that lashed out at her. Without any response they took off down another road, surprised that in all of the chaos, they had not seen a single civilian nor orc in their flight. Though they had little time to ponder it as they found the corrupted dragon in their path.
None but Lucy had seen the transformation that had now befallen their friend. Draconic wings upon his back, horns on his head, and hellish appendages upon him. With a bestial growl his wings flared and he shot toward them prepared to rend his friends. With no one to stop him this time, Gray charged with his Devil-Ice swords and struck at him.
Natsu just barely dodged the blow by using his wings to fly through a building wall. Gray looked ready to charge after him but was forced to dodge a tail that came down upon the road they were just on.
With her whip, Lucy grabbed the Ice Mage and the group pulled him back to them.
"Don't you dare hurt him!" she screamed, Gray was quick to retort this time.
"He's a monster Lucy! A Traitor!" he snarled, "It's because of him my father is dead!"
Before anyone could continue this dialogue they heard his voice…the voice of their friend.
"Lucy…" his voice rumbled out, with wide, terrified eyes they all turned to see E.N.D. had locked his sights upon them, shadow and flame whipping around his form, obscuring all of his features with those glowing white eyes and the white hot flame which prepared to rip from his fanged maw.
But the way he said her name, despite his malice, her name was said with recognition, not rage. Something that caused Lucy to lower her guard as she tried to walk forward. However it was a terrified Wendy who held her back.
"Please don't," she begged, Lucy tried to protest, however she was cut off as Gray summoned a massive wall of Devil Ice between them and the dragon. Despite their protests Lucy walked up to the ice, placing a hand upon it's surface, ignoring the pain as she tried desperately to see the man she would never admit had fallen for. For a moment her heart rose as she saw the silhouette of a draconic hand press upon the other side…only for it to sink as she saw it heat up trying to melt away the as of yet impervious ice. She was ripped from her thoughts as they heard one of Shinobi scream.
"We got incoming!" they all looked up to see a sight that made the Magi's blood run cold. The Nine Tails had assumed a stance to keep it's balance as it began to draw in energy. It's tails all raise pointing at a spherical mass. Toward that mass drifted similar yet smaller orbs of red and blue, resulting in a purple mass the size of the beast's own head.
As it began to compress to little smaller than a human skull, it was swallowed by the great beast. Such a horrific sight was all too similar to the attack of the menacing Black Dragon.
Summoning the last of his strength, Shikamaru pulled everyone back into his shadow and dashed for cover. And though they were within the shadow, they could all hear the menacing, terrible voice that rumbled through the city. The first word of the Nine-Tails heard my mortal ears.
" .RI!" and with that his maw opened to unleash the terrible blast of energy, rocketing to the wall of Ba Sing Se and reducing all within it's path before. As the blasting faded away, the shadow literally ejected them with Shikamaru slamming against a wall and losing consciousness.
[End OST]
The others looked at the collapsed wall, amazing by the focused yet destructive force. But they also realized this was the perfect chance to escape.
[Hobbit OST: Guardian of the Three]
And so they made it to the opening, Kiba carrying their captain on his shoulder. Reaching the opening they found a battered Erza waiting for them, holding a wound just below her rips that she was focusing Magic into to heal. Careful to not get crushed by any falling debris, they all made it through with Lucy running to her Celestial companions before anyone could stop her, forcing them all to make haste after her.
The sight was unsettling: the Twelve Spirits trying and failing to force themselves to their feet was the sight before them. They all rush to each spirit as their forms slowly begin to fade back to the Spirit realm.
Lucy in her panic rushes to her lifelong guardian, evident fear and concern in her voice, "Are you alright!?"
Aquarius, in considerable pain, struggles to speak "It's okay, we knew we didn't stand a chance against him…only slow him down."
She looked up to her young charge, "You need to go now!"
But Lucy protested, "Where!? We are literally on a continent of enemies!"
Not having an answer, they were both silent in thought before her eyes went wide, looking back down to the last remnants of her friend she screamed, praying that she could still be heard.
"Send her to get us!" causing Aquarius' eyes to go wide at this, though as she comprehended what was being said, she gave a nod.
Before fading back into the Celestial Realm.
[0:30 Mark]
With that last glimmer of hope, Lucy stood and turned to her other companions who bore witness to the truth that she had claimed to Aquarius.
There truly was nowhere to turn…
As they could clearly hear the menacing snarls of Uruk-Hai and vicious barks and howls of the wolves. Their number was akin to seeing the sea on the horizon: endless. Even with their most impressive and devastating spells, they could not take out such a capable force with their small number. Or at least…not without putting their back to foes even more terrible. Something that they would not admit to anyone…there was a certain chilling fear at the sight of an entire army not only with discipline and deadly skill, but the brutality and savagery to eat you alive.
And to take their pleasure in it.
However, their situation worsened as heard the thunderous steps of the Nine-Tails as it walked through the opening in the wall. Somehow the great beast had enough control of it's power to cause havoc without harming a single allow force, having angled the explosion to go up.
Though the land where they stood was indeed scorched, it seemed to expire a good distance before reaching the army. With that realization on their mind, they focused back upon their foes. The Nine-Tails form had faded away, placing Natsumi on the ground though still awash in its terrible power.
It was a hellish sight, two of their closest friends consumed my darkness. One awash in dark crimson and black energy. The other blazing in a wrathful inferno.
And the other a black and purple blaze floating in the sky ready to rain hell down upon them like a terrible Fury of ancient tales.
And yet the most terrible sight was their master, walking out of the shattered city gates followed by the Nine.
They company looked upon their once precious friends…and hardly recognized them.
Natsumi's hair was wild, whipping around like nine tails. Her eyes glowing crimson and slitted, her fangs and claws adorned her beautiful face and hands.
She appeared to be a true demoness
And Natsu's skin was patched with scales here and there, his form a silhouette in the dark and hellish flames. Only the white heat from his eyes and his maw held any contrast from the rest of his features resembling a Balrog at human height.
[2:35 Mark]
And finally Naruto: the same hellish and demonic yellow eyes, his black and golden lined armor a faint yet clear contrast to the all black variant that the Nine behind him donned.
The Dark Lord stood before them with a demonstration of sheer might at his back. None his own power, and yet that somehow that made his mostly human visage all the more intimidating.
A True Master of Darkness.
The Dark Lord called out, "Do you finally understand?"
Despair began to finally take hold in their hearts, but Erza Scarlett refused to give in yet. Donning her Heaven's Wheel armor, she stood in defiance of the Dark Lord.
Erza called right back, "I am not done yet, I will defend those I love with all my might!"
Her fury was a terrible thing to witness as her magic pulsed and whipped her hair about in violent fury, "And I will take back by friends as well!"
Even if it means that I must tear through your hordes to get to them!
[2:55 Mark]
For a moment there was silence the Dark Lord looked at the brave woman before him, then without any indication from his other forces, he walked to her calmly, the only sound being the twin inferno's raging behind him and the distant snarl and roars of his army.
As he gets within a blades distance, Erza closed the gap by raising her blade to the Shadow's throat. Halting just before the blade could pierce flesh, though with no other recognition that the blade existed, Sauron looked to the woman
She was surprised to see that his eyes had lost their hellish glow and fade to a dull blue as he locked eyes with her. They were close enough now that only they could hear one another.
"Erza Scarlett," Sauron said softly, "you are by far one of the boldest and bravest of any race that I have ever known."
A sentence that made her eyes widen in surprise at the sudden compliment.
"Your compassion and determination to protect others is matched only by…a select few," he turns looks at her companions at her back, "To stand against insurmountable odds and refuse to stand down, all for the sake of others."
"In fact, it has not been since Elendil and Gil-Galad has there been a being of any race to stand before me such as you do now," He turned away from her to look upon the broken and shattered walls of Ba Sing Se, "One who is willing to do what is necessary at all costs for the sake of others."
It's truly admirable, it's one of the reasons that I want to be by my side. To help me make this world better. To bring peace, and ensure that children never are enslaved and forced to work until they are old and grey by radical cultists.
Erza's eyes widened at this praise, and the knowledge that he knew about her. It was all sincere, those dull eyes held no menace nor lie. She lowered her blade slightly as she contemplated those words. She had indeed sworn to never let anyone do that…but…
[3:27 Mark]
"Your methods say otherwise," Erza growled, "Brainwashing, turning people against their own blood. Manipulating entire civilizations, destroying lives! I can't stand by someone who is willing to cause such destruction to accomplish his goals."
Hearing this, the Shadow's shoulder visible slumped for a moment in disappointment. He again praised the courageous woman, "As I said, you do what is necessary."
But as Sauron looked back to her, his eyes returning to their hellish gleam, "But so must I."
[4:00 Mark]
Seeing this she knew she was in a great deal of danger, she instantly summoned her blades and sent them toward her foe…who was gone in a blur.
She turned to see the Shadow behind her, his blade drawn. And now she understood, the time for speaking was over. The dark and terrible malice having returned.
Seeing that his speed would keep her from getting a decent strike in, she shifted to her Atraxia Armor. With her blades flanking her like angel wings before beginning to spin. Seeing her change the Dark Lord assumed a stance, ready to charge and strike.
As he did the wing blades instantly blocked his blow and spun to strike him. Though he stepped back, he felt invisible blades scrape against the armor.
"Impressive," he complimented her, "I need to remember that."
And now the duel was in earnest, their strikes powerful and quick. Both of them utilized their powerful skill and experience to keep their heads as they tore the ground asunder by their redirected blows.
However, slowly Erza, who had been wounded fending off Mirajane began to falter. With an attempt to end the battle, she swiftly changed to her purgatory armor and moved to cleave the Dark Lord in two.
Only to be caught by his right hand, and a left pommel strike to land into her gut that emptied her wound which dropped her to her knees.
Before any of her companions could interfere, the Shadow he cupped her face and began the process of dominating her mind. And though they rushed her, they knew that they could not stop him before claiming yet another of their friends.
All seemed lost until there as a sudden MASSIVE bolt of lightning blinding everyone.
Erza looked up to the Shadow, and for a split second, she could have sworn that she witnessed something in his eyes.
Fear.
[Fairy Law]
But for her, all she held was hope as she saw a familiar titan appear behind the Dark Lord. Sauron immediately twisted and blocked a massive punch and sent flying away from her.
As he slid across the ground, his slammed right hand to create a drag to slow him down. This was the second time that someone had stopped him before he could claim checkmate, and while it was indeed aggravating, he couldn't held but feel his return as he witnessed just who had come through the Raikage's teleportation device.
Looing up to see a massive wall of earth now blocking his army from coming any closer to the Magi and Shinobi, he knew exactly who was before him
The two Wizard Saints.
It was been a gamble, but humanity always had to flaw of emotion to reign over tactical thinking.
Of course the father would demand the right to defend his children. And so here he was, Markarov Dreyar, allied with Jura Neekis. Two of the mightiest humans on the earth, were now traumatized by the sight of the Fairy Master's "children."
Exhausted, wounded, a sight the Wizard Saints had seen before in their battles against evil…but Jura had never seen this look upon their face.
The look of crushing defeat.
They turned to face the Dark Lord…and they understood why.
As they witnessed the terrible Fate of the Dragonslayer and Jinchuriki, rage fills their hearts as the very earth trembles as their magic cuts loose. The very ground at their feet beginning to rumble to such a degree that the damage done to the walls worsened.
The "Monster Saint" was the first to speak, "What kind of monster forces one's own friends and family to battle each other?"
The Dark Lord ignored his demand, opting to watch the Master of Fairy Tail as his eyes begin to glow yellow. His titanic voice rang out with such ferocity, Natsumi felt the urge to call back to Nine-Tails form…but she restrained herself as her and Kurama needed time to recover after their initial transformation.
"You harm my children…corrupt them…turn them on each other!" his entire body was shaking as he grew.
"You…have committed the most vile atrocity imaginable. And for that…"
Makarov let loose his rage and grows to a great size, that that would match a Tailed-Beast, "You shall be ground to dust!"
Still in silence, Sauron rises and halts his forces from attacking.
"You deem yourself strong enough to stop me?" the Dark Lord asked him as he drew his blade.
"Come then…let us see who's will is stronger!"
And so came the time that would be remembered when Saints stood against The Dark Lord.
The Battle of Sinners and Saints.
AN: Not so sure about that last sentence. But if ya'll got a better name I'll happily take a look at them!
As always let me know what you all think of this chapter, any advice or ideas (I've got a few of your recommendations in my list, and I will give ya credit for enhancing the story when I put it in)
I hope you are all doing okay, blessed and safe from the Coronavirus. Blessings to you all!
