Chapter Thirty-Three

Quick Recap

As Lucy and Juvia walked through the Tower of Heaven and arguing about who to find first, the Trinity Raven Mage Vidaldus Taka appeared before them. At first it seemed Juvia had instantly overwhelmed him in a watery prison before all the water was absorbed into his hair. Shortly after, he used a mind-altering spell, Rock of Succubus, to take control of Lucy's mind to attack Juvia.

Despite their earlier argument, Juvia couldn't bring herself to attack someone she hoped to have as a nakama one day when she joined Fairy Tail. This belief was used against her as Lucy taunted her viciously, breaking down the Water Mage's fighting spirit further, before Loke was summoned as the final nail in the coffin of her hopes. When Loke attacked her on sight, after some prodding from Lucy, Juvia simply stayed down and sobbed her frustration that her past acts would prevent her from ever joining in the warmth of Fairy Tail.

Lucy dismissed Loke afterwards, but the Lion Spirit ignored her and instead went to go and dry Juvia's tears as he demanded to know what was going on. After fighting off a Forced Gate Closure, a feat possibly only due to his having survived three years in the Human World on his own power, Loke put the pieces together and asked for Juvia's help in saving Lucy from Vidaldus. In the ensuing clash, Juvia ended up inadvertently hitting Lucy with one of her strongest spells. Even as Lucy continued to taunt Juvia relentlessly, tears streamed down her face and Loke heard her desperate pleas to stop, trapped within her own mind.

Enraged, Loke went on the attack but couldn't penetrate the magical barrier Vidaldus created to keep him at bay. Freed from his spell, Lucy tearfully begged Juvia's forgiveness. She was surprised as she was taken into the Water Mage's embrace, who only said she was happy that Lucy was safe. As the two watched on, their powerful desire to protect the other reached a point that allowed their magic to become one. Loke, feeling and recognizing the surge of power, called upon Lucy to summon Cancer and Taurus to fight as well, a forbidden practice that was likely to result in the Celestial Spirit Mage's death.

With the power of the two mages combined, however, the three Spirits combined their strengths and quickly overwhelmed Vidaldus. With that, only one assassin remained. Ikaruga, the Commander of Trinity Raven.


Natsu groaned as his eyes fluttered. "You finally waking up, hothead?" He heard and gave another groan as he recognized Gray's voice. Natsu's black eyes suddenly shot open as he rocked back on to his shoulders and jumped to his feet. "Calm down!" Gray, still sitting against the wall, snapped as he saw Natsu look around.

"Gray, there's an owl bastard-" Natsu started to say before Gray's chuckle cut him off.

"Gray already took him out." Simon said, also still sitting, and Natsu froze. "He's up on that cage." He added, pointing up, and Natsu immediately took off. "Hey-!"

"Give him a minute for it to sink in." Gray cut in with a smirk. When Natsu jumped up to the designated cage he moved to stand up and brushed his pants off.

Natsu landed on the cage and his eyes went wide to see Fukuro lying down unconscious, his entire body now with a blue tinge. "Hey, wake up!" He shouted as he ran up to him but got no response. The Dragon Slayer dropped to his knees next to him. "Come on, get up and let's try that again!" He shouted as he shook his shoulders but still got no response from the unconscious assassin.

"Hey, enough time's been wasted waiting for your weak ass to wake up!" Gray shouted and Simon looked at him in surprise. After all, Gray had been almost completely drained after that fight and barely able to move. The Ice-Make Mage didn't respond though as he waited for Natsu to jump back down. "We've still got two more of these bastards to deal with and then Jellal!" He added and Natsu gave a growl before he went to jump back down.

"That doesn't count." Natsu snapped and Gray's smirk grew. "It doesn't!" He insisted as he pointed back up at Fukuro. "If he hadn't cheated and used his jetpack to make me sick I would have won!" He added and received a mocking chuckle.

"Another one from Trinity Raven was encountered." Simon suddenly said, getting looks of surprise from the other two. "Lucy and Juvia both ran into-"

"Is Lucy okay!?" Natsu shouted as he rushed up to Simon and kneeled in front of him, making him lean back in surprise. Gray's face also showed his concern, for even if he would never admit it to Natsu his fight had been a close one. If he had misjudged his dodge and counter then the fight could have ended very differently. For all he knew that assassin probably would have ended up trying to eat him as well.

Simon looked between the two before he gave a nod as he recovered from his surprise. "Yes, both of them are fine, though it seems Lucy was injured." He reported as Natsu sighed at his nod.

Natsu's eyes, which had started to show relief, went wide in alarm again as he grabbed Simon by his shoulder sash. "How badly is she hurt?" He demanded and Simon brought both hands up to try and calm the Dragon Slayer.

"She's fine, she's fine!" Simon exclaimed but Natsu continued to glare at him as if waiting for another twist. "They both defeated the Trinity Raven Mage and are helping Wally find the others and get them to safety." He said and Natsu finally sighed as he released Simon.

"So that's two down." Gray said with a sigh of his own as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Wait, where's Happy?" Natsu suddenly asked as he looked around. "And what others are you talking about?" He asked and the other two blinked. Gray suddenly pinched the bridge of his nose with his right hand in realization before explaining the situation to him.

Natsu stood up and crossed his arms over his chest while Gray talked. When he was brought up to speed, Natsu closed his eyes and sighed. "Okay, so they're working on saving the others, got it." He said then grinned as he slammed his right fist into his left palm. "Which means we need to focus on taking down this last person and then Jellal." He said and Gray made a sound of amusement.

"Sorry, but with only two left you're out of luck." Gray said and though Simon looked at him in confusion, Natsu offered a grunt of annoyance.

"Yeah, yeah, but if I can find one of them then they can overwhelm the other easily enough." Natsu said and Gray hesitated before he sighed.

"You idiot, you've been out long enough that those two should be near the top by this point." Gray said then looked over as Simon shakily stood up.

"What are you two talking about?" Simon asked cautiously and the two looked at each other curiously then back at Simon.

"Link and Erza. With only two opponents left those two will be able to finish everything off easily enough." Gray said and Simon's eye went wide.

"Hey, I said I'm taking down one of them!" Natsu asserted angrily.

"No, we need to help them take on both!" Simon cut in sharply as he took a step forward with a wince. "Gray, do you know anything about Trinity Raven?" He asked and Gray hesitated before shrugging.

"Not much, I know they're from a Dark Guild and a powerful group of assassins but that's about it." Gray said and Simon shook with repressed emotion.

"You two don't understand what's waiting for them…" Simon said and got sharp looks from Gray and Natsu. "Ikaruga is the leader of Trinity Raven, standing over two other equally heartless killers for one reason." He said and swallowed thickly. "She took them both on at the same time and defeated them… no not just defeated them." Simon said with a shake of his head as both Gray and Natsu looked at him in surprise. "They couldn't even touch her, nothing they did could get past her defenses." He said and their eyes went wide in shock.

"Two people of that caliber…" Gray said as he glanced up to where he knew the unconscious Fukuro to be. "They couldn't even touch her?" He asked incredulously and Simon nodded his head.

"Jellal is at least as strong as her and will use any method to win. He doesn't care if it's brute force, mind games, tactics, or any kind of combination you can think of." Simon said as he looked down at the ground. "If Erza encounters him… I don't think she can win." He said and Natsu took a threatening step towards him while Gray looked down with narrowed eyes.

"Erza's too strong to lose to that guy!" Natsu asserted as he grabbed Simon's sash. "And with Link there, it doesn't matter how strong they might be!" He continued angrily.

"That might not be the case here." Gray suddenly said and Natsu's glare snapped over to the Ice-Make Mage. "Just listen!" He snapped as Natsu opened his mouth for a heated rebuttal. "I get what you're saying. Hell those two took down someone almost as strong as Master when they were running on fumes by working together!" He said but Natsu continued to glare at him. "When those two are in sync, I doubt there's much that can actually stop them." Gray said then sighed as he ran his left hand through his dark hair. "But we can hardly say those two are in sync right now, can we?" He asked and Natsu froze before he looked away unhappily. "You saw how hard Link is taking this, right?" The dark-haired mage demanded.

"Yeah…" Natsu admitted with a slow nod. "He almost knocked out Happy and Lucy when his frustration boiled over." He said as he recalled the force of Link's magical power back in the suite at Akane Resort.

"This entire thing has thrown their teamwork out the window, they may end up trying to do one on one fights." Gray said with a sigh. "Of course, Link will probably let Erza confront Jellal like-"

"No!" Simon interjected sharply, making the other two look at him in surprise. "I already said Erza can't beat Jellal!" He continued and got a growl from Natsu as Gray's eyes narrowed dangerously. "This isn't about strength." The Darkness Mage asserted before either of them could argue and their anger shifted to questioning. "With everything that's happened… I think I know what Erza is planning to do…" He said then swallowed.

What he said next had both Natsu's and Gray's eyes widening in shock.

Random Tower of Heaven Hallway

Damnit… why did they still follow me? Erza wondered in frustration as she ran down a large hallway. The redhead couldn't believe it, she had been sure she had made her point. Link should have been hurt with the ending of their partnership and the others should have wanted nothing more to do with her after she had Wally knock them out. But no, Jellal's announcement had ended her hope in finishing things with him alone.

Erza didn't even bother wondering how they got here. She had already berated herself for not searching Simon for any other crystals. In retrospect she had been too focused on getting to the Tower of Heaven, she should have known better than to assume Link would have risked the only crystal being discovered. As far as getting here with the ship being so far out was easy enough to figure out as well. With Link's wide variety of weaponry and problem-solving ability it had probably only taken him seconds to come up with a solution. She ceased her contemplations as she saw the hallway turning into a room ahead, a large one from what she could see. At the end of the room she saw a lone figure clothed in white and her eyes narrowed.

As Erza entered the room she saw the hallway became a large stone catwalk, perhaps twenty feet or so wide, in a cavernous room with no bottom in sight. The catwalk had a four foot high wooden railing on each side with stone gargoyles on each end and a tall red Shinto torii gate halfway across. At the end of the catwalk she was better able to view the figure, a pink-haired woman in a white kimono set low to show off her large bust, red platform sandals, and a red-sheathed nodachi tucked on her left side. Behind the woman the catwalk went up in a stairwell towards the top of the Tower. "Who are you?" Erza asked tensely, for she could feel the strength radiating from the other woman in her easy stance; almost like a blade waiting to be strike.

"I am Ikaruga of Trinity Raven." The pink-haired woman said with a small smile on her face and Erza's eyes narrowed slightly at the name. "Erza Scarlet, I am here to take you to Jellal; thank you for saving me the time of hunting you down." Ikaruga said, her smile seeming sincere as her green eyes twinkled in amusement, before she brought her right hand to rest on the hilt of her sword. "Of course, since you seem likely to attack him on sight, I'll have to beat you down a little bit and then drag you up." She added as a hint of sadism came to her expression for a couple of seconds before fading away with a hint of surprise.

Before Erza could respond, several twanging sounds filled the air. Multiple arrows flew by centimeters away and from behind the redhead towards Ikaruga, whose green eyes glinted in amusement. "Kirin-kinzoku." She said and several flashes of light were suddenly seen as the arrows reached her, and with each flash an arrow was reduced to splinters of wood and steel that scattered around her harmlessly. A sudden flash of green fifteen feet over Erza heralded Link's arrival, his right eye closed, as he let loose with another barrage of arrows from his Fairy Bow, his speed so great that it almost appeared to be an unbroken stream of wood and steel. As before though, the instant they came within range they were all destroyed as Ikaruga appeared to have flashes of light appear before her.

Link halted his barrage as he came down to land, an arrow knocked and ready as he kept his aim on Ikaruga. Erza looked at him in surprise as he landed five feet before her, his boots barely making a scuffing sound, before her eyes narrowed in anger. "Link… why are you here?" The Requip Mage asked but received no response. "Was I not clear enough before?" She demanded angrily as she brought her right hand up and sliced it horizontally before herself.

"Yes." Link said, his gaze never leaving Ikaruga. "You are no longer my partner." He stated coolly and Erza blinked in surprise as Ikaruga's amused smile grew slightly. Her amusement was enhanced by Link's refusal to look away and give her an opening despite the flash of pain in his eyes. She truly had no intention of taking advantage of an opening after all, finding this reunion to be more painful for them than a sudden attack from her.

After a few seconds Erza recovered as her hands clenched into fists. "Then why are you-"

"I never said I was no longer your partner." Link interrupted and Erza froze at his statement. "Erza, Jellal should be up those stairs." He said, motioning towards them with his head.

Erza instinctively looked to the stairs at his comment then back at him, her eyes still showing her surprise, before she shook her head and sighed. "Very well, let's take her down and-"

"No." Link interrupted again and Erza looked at him in confusion even as Ikaruga cocked an eyebrow curiously. "This fight will be difficult enough. I cannot afford to be on guard against attacks from you as well." He said, his tone cold, and the redhead froze as she looked at Link in shock.

"Er… Erza…" The redhead suddenly had flash through her mind and winced as she looked away, reminded how she had knocked Link out earlier. "I see… I can count on you still… but you can no longer count on me…" She said softly before she closed her eyes and took a breath to harden her resolve.

Ikaruga's faintly amused smile returned at the exchange. "Fufufu…" She suddenly laughed softly, deciding that she had heard enough. "Amusing as this conversation is, what makes you believe either of you are leaving?" She asked and cocked her head to the right in a coy manner that put both more on edge.

"Erza… don't let your armor hinder you." Link said softly and the redhead blinked as she looked back at the blonde. "Go." He added before he sent another barrage of arrows at Ikaruga, this time slightly altering the angle of each shot to try and find an opening. Instinctively Erza rushed forward in a sprint, suddenly Requipping to her cheetah-print bikini top Flight Armor that turned her into a blur of movement. Ikaruga tracked her movements even as every arrow that came her way was destroyed, waiting for the proper timing to strike. A sudden lull in the barrage had her shifting her gaze back to Link in time to see his left hand extended towards her, the Fairy Bow already Ex-Equipped.

Ikaruga's eyes narrowed curiously before she was encased in an opaque blue crystal. Erza didn't miss a stride as she sprinted past the crystal and reached the stairs, where she suddenly stopped. "Link, don't wait for me." She said as she looked up the stairs. "I'll be down after I finish with Jellal, so please make sure everyone gets out safely."

Link's ears drooped as his gaze went from his spell to Erza's back. "I'll make sure of it." He replied softly and Erza went up the stairs in a blur. After a few seconds Link turned his gaze back to Nayru's Embrace as he reached into his pouch. First things first, I need to- The blonde's thought process was interrupted by the opaque crystal suddenly shattering, making his eyes go wide in surprise.

"My, my, what a fun spell." Ikaruga said as she watched the shattered pieces of Nayru's Embrace shimmer around her before disappearing. "I should thank you. If I had been forced to fight you both…" She trailed off with a sigh before smiling at Link. "I might have accidentally killed Erza and failed the contract." She finished with a soft giggle.

Link's eyes narrowed as he regarded her before he Requipped his Silver Gauntlets and the blue hilted Biggoron Sword. She's not trying to be boastful… she truly believes she would have been able to overcome us. He thought as he brought his right foot back and bent his knees. At the same time he brought the Biggoron Sword back on his right side and placed his right hand on the hilt for a two-handed grip on the six-foot long sword. The way she destroyed Nayru's Embrace… He could barely believe it, there wasn't any sign of strain on her face.

"Oh, are you to match me in swordplay?" Ikaruga asked coquettishly with another soft giggle. "Come then, let me see what the great Maharathi has to offer." She said as she gracefully brought her left foot back and bent her knees into a slight forward dip, her right hand coming to grasp the hilt of her nodachi.

Link continued to look at her intently for several seconds, replaying the flashes of light from before. Iaijutsu… He thought, recognizing the basic sword style that comprised of lightning fast unsheathing strikes. Ikaruga went beyond even that, for Link had barely been able to see even what he assumed was a portion of her strikes. Nevertheless, he was beginning to become accustomed to the speed and better able to track them. Still, her ability to cut through Nayru's Embrace with seemingly no effort made him wary… something he didn't have time for. One pass with the Biggoron Sword will give me a better idea of what I'm up against. He determined then dashed towards her.

Ikaruga waited patiently as Link ran in, her amused smile still on her face, carefully watching every movement. As soon as he got within reach of the Biggoron Sword, Link brought it up in an upward, diagonal strike. "Hyaaa!" He yelled with his strike as he continued to watch her just as carefully as she watched him. Due to the length of their blades and the fact that most right-handed combatants weren't comfortable countering a strike from the same side as their own dominant hand, he was expecting Ikaruga to either fade back and then move in right after or go for a parry. Instead she did something that went counter to that. He watched as she suddenly blurred forward, only mildly surprised at the speed and balance she had in her platform sandals, and saw the moment she unsheathed her nodachi. "Kirin-kinzoku."

When the two passed by each other, Link froze as he looked forward in shock. "My, my, such quick reactions." Ikaruga said as she stood calmly, both of them keeping their back to the other, and looked up in detached amusement as blood sprayed from Link's right arm and left side of his chest. "To think you could make such minute shifts at the last minute… perhaps I can find some entertainment in this." She said with a soft giggle as the Biggoron Sword's blade cut into the ground between them. "Of course, you'll need a better blade to match my Mugetsu-Ryu." Ikaruga said as she looked back, but Link was unaware of her as he continued to stare at the remaining five inches of his previously unblemished sword.

Era – Etherion Firing Chamber

Siegrain's eyes narrowed as he looked down into the firing chamber from one of the second floor observation balconies. The stone room was large, easily sixty feet wide and went up another twenty feet past the second floor before ending in an orange dome with flat pillars which curved inwards with the dome itself. Throughout the room, state of the art magical equipment was placed, but the center of the room held its true purpose.

Situated between two twenty-foot stone statues of beautiful women in slight shifts, one holding a staff that ended in feathers and the other blowing into a horn, were four light blue crystalline lacrima formations that went up to their knees. Above and centered between the lacrima was a dark green sphere, and even higher above that was a golden hoop that had a translucent map of Earthland. The entire setup was the Satellite Square: Etherion, the magical weapon with enough power to wipe out a nation.

Currently the four lacrima formations were each glowing a different color; red, blue, white, and brown. The four colors leaked out and were absorbed up into the green orb, which also had yellow and dark purple swirling in its depths. Men and women dressed in white robes with a red poncho-like cover were stationed at each console, with many others scurrying between them, all of them focused intently.

"Magical power at 75 percent!" One person reported before she looked over at another console.

"Etherion elemental merger at 49, no 50 percent!" The man there reported with a nod of his head. At his console was a lever set three quarters of the way up, the output desired to destroy the Tower of Heaven but hopefully not enough to spark outrage from the country whose waters the Tower resided in.

"Siegrain-sama?" Ultear asked as she looked over at him, her grip shifting slightly on her small light green lacrima orb. "Is something the matter?"

Siegrain blinked before he looked over at the black-haired beauty, taking his gaze away from the image of the Tower of Heaven situated close to Satellite Square: Etherion for observation purposes then shook his head. "Perhaps he's finally realizing the price of his decision." Another voice cut in and they both turned to see Yajima walk into their balcony. "Well, young Siegrain, do you understand what you've done?" Yajima asked as he looked up at the other Council Member.

"Yes." Siegrain replied with a short bow. "I'll take full responsibility for the firing-"

"I'm not talking about that you fool!" Yajima snapped angrily, cutting Siegrain off and making both him and Ultear look at the elder Council Member in surprise. "You're about to kill your brother! Do you not understand what that will do to you!?" He demanded, his face tightening with his rising wrath, and they both continued to look at him in surprise for several seconds.

Siegrain eventually sighed as he looked down with sad eyes. "I appreciate… what you're trying to say." He said and then brought his right hand up to look at his palm. "I really did want to help him, to make him understand…. but this…" Siegrain closed his eyes, face tightening with emotion, as his right hand tightened into a fist.

"Siegrain-sama…" Ultear said sympathetically as she placed her right hand on his right shoulder.

Yajima's anger faded from his face while Siegrain took a deep breath. When he had finished, he brought his hand back down to his side and then opened his eyes, which now showed renewed determination. "I swear to you, after this day I will never see Jellal as my brother again." He declared and Yajima could say nothing to that heartfelt and sincere declaration.

Jellal's Throne Room

Jellal stood in the center of his throne room, the hood of his dark jacket up, as he waited for Erza. 15 minutes… He thought and then looked down at his right, gloved hand. "It's almost over..." He said thoughtfully as his hand tightened into a fist. The sound of rapid footsteps had him looking back up with a confident smirk to see Erza standing before him. "Well, well, the sacrifice has delivered herself to the altar." The blue-haired mage said with a dark chuckle. "I suppose that means the game is over and I've won."

Erza stood at the top of the stairs into the room, her brown eyes wide as she looked at Jellal. Her eyes suddenly narrowed into a glare as she walked towards him. "Is that truly all this has been to you?" She asked and Jellal offered a noise of dismissal that caused her eyes to flare. "All those people you kept enslaved, our nakama you deceived for years, all of that was just a game!?" She demanded angrily.

"Of course, I had to find some way to entertain myself." Jellal said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Do you have any idea of tiresome it quickly became having to deal with such idiots?" He asked and Erza's right eye twitched in her rising anger. "Any setback had them whining and doubting. If I didn't find a way to amuse myself amongst this great work, I may have ended up killing them all instead." He continued with a shake of his head. A sudden surge of magical power had him looking back at her in surprise.

Erza now stood before him in a suit of black armor whose breastplate more resembled a short dress with a plunging, spiked neckline while the arm and leg greaves completely encased her limbs. Black spikes ran down the arm greaves, most prominently on her multi-layered shoulder pauldrons, and a necklace of black spikes ran across her throat almost like a choker. Another black spike came up on the left side of her head almost like a fashion accessory. This was the updated Purgatory Armor, sporting more power than the version she had worn just a few years earlier, an armor only to be worn when things were at their most dire. "You're right about something, Jellal. This is over." She said darkly as she glared at him. "Everyone you've kept enslaved will be freed and allowed to regain their lives." The redhead continued as she Requipped the massive meat cleaver-like sword with four black spikes going down its back to her right hand and started to walk towards him.

"Go ahead and take them, I've gotten what I needed from them." Jellal said with a dismissive laugh. "The Tower of Heaven is complete, the only thing that was still needed is now here." He said with a demonic grin as he brought his hood down. "Now then, are you ready to usher the return of Zeref?" He asked as he brought his right hand up and shifted his right foot.

"HHAAAAA!" Erza screamed as she broke into a dash towards Jellal, her left hand coming to grasp the hilt of the sword and brought it by her right hip. Right as she started a horizontal slash, a golden aura surrounded Jellal and he launched up into the air above the swing. Her eyes easily tracked him as she adjusted her grip to reverse the direction of the blade as she halted its momentum by her left hip.

Jellal's grin widened as he snapped the fingers of his right hand, activating a trap he had left where he had been standing. Dark purple, transparent tentacles sprang up grabbed at her arms and legs to immobilize her, making her look down in surprise, before more energy came up to completely engulf her in a dome. "Hehehe… all too easy, Erza." Jellal chuckled as he landed lightly on the ground a few feet from her and the golden aura disappeared. "Now then, let's begin-!"

"GGRRAAAAAGGGHH!" Erza yelled as she fought against the energy surrounding her and slashed out with her sword, creating a shockwave that dissipated the dark purple energy and sent Jellal flying back with a grunt of surprise. Link, I still don't know what you were trying to say. She thought as she Requipped back to the Flight Armor, this time with one a rose-hilted short sword to her right hand, and launched at Jellal in a blur of motion. My armors have never hindered me in combat! She determined as she came in at the still airborne mastermind.

Before Jellal could react he was hit by three swift slashes to the stomach, followed up by a spinning kick to his gut that sent him flying into a nearby pillar. "Gah!" He coughed out a spurt of blood before he was grabbed by his collar and slammed into the ground. An instant later the short sword was held at his throat as Erza glared down at him, the cat ear decorations on her head blending with her sharp gaze to give the impression of a mighty predator staring down at her prey. This… this is Erza? He thought in shock at her display. In less than half a minute, he was now helpless.

"Jellal… what is your plan?" Erza suddenly asked and Jellal looked up at her in surprise. "You should know just as I that you're missing an important piece for the R-System." She said and Jellal just smirked despite his current situation.

Jellal looked up at her with madness in his eyes. "Didn't I already tell you?" He asked with a dark chuckle. "You're the sacrifice, with you here-" Jellal was interrupted by the blade pushing closer to his neck, getting a wince of pain from him.

"I'm talking about something even more fundamental than that." Erza said as she continued to glare down at him. "I've done my own research into the R-System, and everything is correct except for one key part... magic power." She said and Jellal's eyes widened in surprise. "You need 2.7 billion edeas of magic power… you couldn't gather that even with every mage on the continent, let alone by yourself." She stated and Jellal's eyes tightened at her words. "What's more, even with the threat of Etherion hanging over you, you've shown no inclination to run away." She continued as her grip tightened on her hilt. "I'll ask again, what is your plan?" She demanded then brought sword back a hair from his throat.

After a few seconds Jellal sighed. "I just want it to end…" Jellal said softly and Erza's glare turned into surprise as she looked down at him. "You're right. I don't have the magic power needed for the R-System. I've known for years now that obtaining it would be impossible for me to accomplish alone." He admitted with a sad chuckle. "But I couldn't stop… not after Zeref's ghost possessed me in the Punishment Room eight years ago." He said with a sigh as his dark green eyes shifted away from Erza's gaze.

Erza's eyes went wide at that proclamation. "You were possessed?" She asked and everything from that moment suddenly made sense to her. His sudden change in demeanor, his callous attitude and all-consuming hatred, must have come from Zeref's influence. If I had only been faster… She thought sadly as she looked down at him.

"Even now, all I could hope for was for you to gain the strength to kill me and set me free from this all-consuming need to complete a hopeless dream." Jellal continued and Erza's shock showed on her face. "I'm just an engine that can't stop… now finish what you came to do… please." He implored her and Erza's eyes narrowed as the hand holding the short sword started to tremble.

"Yeah… you will die today and be free, Jellal." Erza said and Jellal offered a small smile before freezing as Erza Ex-Equipped the short sword.

Cavernous Room

Link ducked underneath an Iaijutsu strike from Ikaruga, his shoulders almost touching the ground to ensure his dodge, before he lashed out with his left foot at her leading right foot. Ikaruga nimbly jumped over the kick as she tilted her body forward. The blonde was already jumping back when she jumped and an instant later a cut appeared on the walkway where he had been. Link placed his left hand on the ground and launched up into the air as he Requipped the Fairy Bow to unleash another barrage of arrows. "Kirin-kinzoku." She said as she landed lightly on her platform sandals and once again flashes of light were seen as she destroyed arrow after arrow.

Lying around them were the remains of numerous weapons; swords of different shapes and sizes, a couple of axes, a scythe, and others. Every weapon Link had Requipped to utilize had been sliced down to size. Not only that but the Hylian now had two new gashes, one on his left arm and the other on the right side of chest; though the tears in his tunic from the previous injuries had almost closed back up.

A red glow filled the room as Link charged up three Fire Arrows then let them loose. Ikaruga smiled as they flew at her like miniature meteorites as she brought her left leg back. "Seiryu-mizu!" She said as she unsheathed her blade, now covered with water. The blue water flew off with the slash and quickly turned into a torrent that shifted around into the shape of a serpentine dragon.

Link's eyes went wide in surprise as the dragon smashed into the Fire Arrows, each sputtering before falling apart. The blonde disappeared in a flash of green right before the water was about to him and reappeared back on the walkway. He was ready to avoid another rush from his opponent, but Ikaruga just stood at ease. Link took the opportunity to watch the dragon slam into the wall and go through with the sound of dozens of cutting blades rather than the crashing impact he had expected. She had slashes stored in the water? He realized in surprise, recalling how the arrow hadn't broken apart so much as fallen apart in pieces.

A sudden sigh from Ikaruga quickly brought his attention back to her. "Dodge, dodge, dodge… I had expected better of you." She said with a shake of her head. "Although perhaps the fault is not yours, but the low quality of your weapons." She allowed and Link's eyes narrowed at the dismissive tone, especially of the Biggoron Sword. "After all, there is nothing my Mugetsu-Ryu cannot cut." She said as she shifted the sheath, causing the bells to ring for the first since he had seen her.

Link barely paid any attention to her cutting words, instead his focus on the blade before him. I have maybe two weapons that can stand against that. He realized after a mental review of his armory. One I don't have the strength to use. The other… Link was hesitant to risk the Master Sword. For all its strength, for all the blessings it was imbued with, he did not want to gamble on it going against an edge that had effortlessly cut through Nayru's Embrace and the Biggoron Sword without damage. Everything I've used against that sword might as well have been a practice sword… He thought before his eyes widened slightly.

Five Years Ago

"Gah!" Link cried out as he fell to the ground with a cut on his chest. At the same time he fell most of a wooden scimitar hit the ground next to him. In his Silver Gauntlet covered left hand, the hilt and few remaining inches of the practice scimitar was held tightly.

"No, my student, you aren't listening." Durga said as she looked down at him, a steel scimitar held in her right hand. "What made you think you could block my blade like that with a wooden sword?" She asked and Link blinked before he looked up at her with narrowed eyes. "Temper your response." She warned as she pointed the scimitar at him.

"You said to block or parry then ignored my protests." Link said after a few seconds.

"And yet you failed to do that." Durga said as she pointed at the cut on his chest with her left hand. "What fool would think that more strength would allow a stick to stop sharpened steel?" She demanded and Link's ears flicked twice. "Get up, Requip another one, and try again." She ordered sternly.

Link continued to look at her for a few seconds before he got to his feet. He tossed the ruined practice sword aside and Requipped another practice scimitar. "Remember this." Durga said as they both assumed a ready stance. "When your weapon is out-classed to such a degree, precision counts for more than strength." She said and Link blinked before his eyes went wide.

Present Day

Link looked down at his Silver Gauntlets, ignoring the blood that continued to drip down from him on the ground, before he sighed and Ex-Equipped them to Requip his usual leather gloves. "My, my, are you giving up?" Ikaruga asked but received no reply. The fire in Link's eyes, however, gave the answer to her question as he started to walk towards her. "Oh, so you think you can take me unarmed… are you mocking me?" She asked, her tone no longer amused but now soft with a dangerous edge. "Or are you perhaps the type that refuses to run away and want me to grant a painless death?" She asked, detached amusement back on her face, before she shook her head with a sigh. "Regardless, let us finish this." She said as she brought her left leg back.

Link suddenly broke into a sprint, his eyes narrowed in focus, and Ikaruga waited for him to get in range. "Kirin-kinzoku." She said once he got in range and at the exact time Link Requpped the Master Sword to both hands.

"Hyaa!" Link yelled out as he attacked with the Blade of Evil's Bane.

When Link went past her, Ikaruga looked down curiously with a hint of confusion on her face. I missed the sheath? She wondered as she saw Mugetsu-Ryu pressed firmly against the sheath. The only reason she hadn't cut her left hand was due to an instinctive shift at the last moment. As she sheathed her blade properly a sudden sting on her right cheek drew her attention.

Before she could reach up she was forced to spin as she felt Link coming in at her back, and her eyes widened in surprise to see his blade without even a scratch on it. Is that why I missed? She wondered as her hand touched the Mugetsu-Ryu's hilt. "Kirin-kinzoku!" She called out, but this time she noticed something different.

Flashes of light appeared between the two, the effect of the Master Sword and Mugetsu-Ryu clashing again and again with neither sword showing any damage. What? She wondered in surprise as the Ikaruga found herself having to defend as often as she attacked, something she hadn't experienced in a long time. How is he- I see… She suddenly realized as she paid more attention to each clash. At the moment before impact, Link shifted the angle of his blade just enough so that the flat of the blades would impact rather than the edge.

A master swordswoman, she of course knew this technique. However, to use it so consistently at such speeds, and with such injuries, showed a level of skill she had yet to see in an opponent. This is… She thought before a smile came to her. Magnificent! The speed of her strikes suddenly increased as her excitement grew.

Link's eyes tightened as he increased the speed of his strikes in response. The sound of metal striking metal soon became a constant, single tone as minor cuts began to appear on both combatants. Neither noticed, though, and neither showed any hint of slowing down as their arms moved in a blur as they attempted to penetrate the other's defenses in a meaningful way.

Ikaruga suddenly jumped back fifteen feet, easily keeping balance on her platform sandals, with a light flush on her face. She felt her blood pumping in a way it hadn't in a long time and she panted slightly in excitement. The sweat on her face suddenly reminded her of the stinging pain on her face, but similar stings on her body had her looking down curiously. The sight of multiple cuts across her body made her eyes widen in shock. "I… I've been… injured?" She asked before her face lit up in a euphoric expression that made Link hesitate. "Incredible, even my teammates couldn't manage this! It's almost a shame I have to kill you!" She declared as she brought her left leg back and leaned forward slightly. "Byakko-kaze!" She called out as she unsheathed her sword in a blur. Five wind blades flew in horizontally at her opponent, each one two feet apart with lowest one foot from the ground, and caused the air to hiss as if in pain against their sharpness.

This time Link didn't hesitate as he ran towards the wind blades then Ex-Equipped the Master Sword as he dove through the second and third blades. As his upper torso cleared the blades he Requipped the Fairy Bow and fired two Ice Arrows at his opponent. Ikaruga already had her sword back in its sheath in preparation when the two arrows were surrounded with a bluish white, frigid aura. "Suzaku-hi!" She yelled as she unsheathed her fire enshrouded sword. The flames shot out and quickly swirled together until they were vaguely shaped like a bird and consumed the Ice Arrows with a hiss of steam, making the arrows fall apart in pieces.

Even as his Ice Arrows were consumed Link cleared the wind blades and spun in the air to bring his body facedown and perpendicular to the ground. Ikaruga expected him to bring one hand down and launch himself over Suzaku-hi as she started to bring her sword back to its sheath. Link suddenly disappeared in a flash of green and reappeared fifteen feet above her with five Bomb Arrows already nocked and ready, his body still pointed downwards. He unleashed the cluster of Bomb Arrows and disappeared in a flash of green as he once again used Farore's Wind for a quick escape from the blast radius to appear close the opening he had first entered the room with.

Ikaruga watched the arrows streak down at her, her sword still out, before she smirked as she slammed the sheath into the ground. "Genbu-tsuchi!" She declared and the stone walkway beneath her immediately shifted into a protective dome around her.

Link's eyes went wide before he shaded them from the force of the explosion, his ears twitching against the sound. When the explosion cleared he saw the dome still stood but covered in massive cracks. It suddenly started to reform and return back into the walkway, showing Ikaruga kneeling with her sheath still touching the ground and her blade still out in her right hand. Both combatants panted from the force of the exchange as they locked eyes.

The Sword Mage giggled and stood tall as she sheathed her blade smoothly while Link Ex-Equipped the Fairy Bow. "Tell me, do you know the story of the Five Guardians?" Ikaruga asked as she held Mugetsu-Ryu out horizontally before her and Link's ears flicked once in recognition. In a faraway land, it was said that a nation was protected by five mythical creatures of immense power.

Suzaku, the Red Pheonix, queen of fire. Willful and determined she scorched the earth before her foes and immolated any that threatened her.

Seiryu, the Azure Dragon, lord of water. Strong and ferocious he crushed any dared opposed him and swallowed them whole, never to be seen again.

Genbu, the Black Tortoise, master of earth. Patient and methodical, his strong defense allowed him to wear down his opponents and then smash down any revealed weaknesses.

Byakko, the White Tiger, ruler of the wind. Brave and tenacious, he swiftly cut down his enemies with attacks that left them confused before death claimed them.

Kirin, the Gold Dragon, king of them all. Serene and wise, those that incur his wrath can only tremble in fear before his unstoppable and cutting rage.

Ikaruga saw recognition flash in Link's blue eyes at her words and smiled as she saw he indeed knew the legend. "Good, I would hate to waste our remaining time explaining it." She said then looked at her sword. "My Mugetsu-Ryu has been imbued with their strength, a powerful blade that none before had been able to stand up to." Ikaruga said then returned her green-eyed gaze the Link's fiery blue. "I shall remember this kill above all others, Maharathi Link Kokiri." She said with a small smile as she brought her nodachi back to her left hip as she extended her left leg back in a ready stance.

"Farore, Goddess of Courage." Link started to chant as he Requipped two large boomerangs, a golden glow emitting from his left hand. "Master of nature and all creation." He continued as he bent forward slightly as he crossed his arms over chest in preparation to throw his boomerangs, a green aura swirling around him. "Grant to me now thine divine wind, to blow away the agents of destruction!" He finished and his ears flicked. "Farore's!" He yelled as he threw the boomerangs with enough force to look as if they might create two small tornados and blocked their view of each other.

"Byakko-kaze!" Ikaruga retorted and five blades of wind shot out towards the boomerangs. As the two attacks hit each other, she barely noticed as a small breeze fluttered her hair as she sheathed her nodachi. Byakko-kaze sliced through the boomerangs as if they were nothing and Ikaruga smirked as she waited for the pieces to fall apart and allow her to see Link's shocked expression before she planned to dash forward and deliver a killing blow.

"Slipstream." Ikaruga heard him say softly from behind and her eyes went wide in surprise even as the boomerangs scattered enough to show Link no longer standing in front of her. She quickly spun to her right, ready to strike, when her torso suddenly erupted in a fountain of blood spraying upward. As she stumbled from the mortal strike her grip loosened and Mugetsu-Ryu flew from her grasp to Link, Master Sword held in a leftward diagonal angle in his elevated left hand and Silver Guantlets Requipped.

Link pivoted to catch Mugetsu-Ryu in his right hand even as he Ex-Equipped the Master Sword. He looked at the red-sheathed nodachi, the bells chiming from his catch, with appraising eyes as Ikaruga dropped to her knees before him. "That… that wasn't… an attack…" She said as she looked up at him and Link Ex-Equipped the blade to look down at her. "That was… a boost…" She reasoned out and Link nodded his head. "So this… is… defeat…" She said with a blood-filled giggle as her vision darkened before she fell to the ground, a sincere smile on her face.

Link spared her another second before he turned and moved to the stairs, where he fell to one knee with a gasp. Blood splattered down from the impact, reminding him that his victory had been costly in both blood and magic. He needed to tend to his wounds and recover his magic, but with eight minutes left he had barely enough time for one. Link's eyes narrowed as he reached into his pouch and pulled out a vial filled with a purple liquid. He looked at it for two seconds as he weighed his options.

Two Years Ago

"What did you say?" Porlyusica asked dangerously as she homed in on Link with a red-eyed glare; the two of them sitting in Porlyusica's home. Link was sitting at a desk looking through one of her medical books and she was mixing together some ingredients in a mortar and pestle at another desk that held some alchemical equipment.

Link's ears flicked at her glare and tone as he looked at her uncertainly. "Is it possible to combine your pink and blue tonics?" He asked and unknowingly leaned back as her glare intensified.

"Why would you ask such a ridiculous question?" Porylusica asked irritably and Link blinked in confusion. One of the first lessons she had imparted to him was to question everything. If there was a way to improve a solution then seek it, for potions should always evolve to a better, more potent solution. "To combine the two is impossible, leave it alone." She said as she returned her attention to the mortar and pestle.

Link, however, shook his head as recalled a potion that had quite literally saved his life in the most difficult fight of his life. "In my homeland-"

"Good for your homeland!" Poryluisca snapped as she slammed the mortar and pestle on the desk and stood up swiftly to glare at him. "Why don't you just return there and-!" She cut herself off as Link looked at her in shock then to the side, anger and sadness in his eyes. Porylusica closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, they were hardly soft but at least back to their usual sternness instead of hot anger.

"There is something." She admitted and Link looked back at her. "A purple tonic… something that not only stabilizes and heals the body as well as restores one's magical reserves, but does so at a higher rate than either my pink or blue tonic." Porylusica said and Link's eyes widened in surprise. "I created it as a way to help my team, a marvelous concoction to help balance the recklessness of one idiot in particular." She said with a shake of her head. "More like a nightmarish poison that should have never been made." Porlyusica added bitterly as she looked as she ground and Link blinked in surprise. "I never thought of possible side effects… of the effect on the human body. Over time it can cause the body to break down, and before I noticed it…" She cut herself off with a shake of her head and looked back up at Link sternly. "It is better off forgotten." She said, no compromise in her tone, before she turned back to her ingredients.

"Would it be possible to have one?" Link asked and an instant later he was on the ground due to a blow to head from the now broom-wielding potion master.

"Did you not listen to a word I said?" Porlyusica demanded angrily, her broom held at the ready, before she paused as Link got his knees in the seiza position before her.

"I heard… I heard your fear of it." Link said, his gaze on the ground, and Porylusica looked at him in surprise. "Porylusica, there must be a way to minimize the side effect. Something like that could help so many." He said earnestly and she slowly lowered the broom. "I shall not use it without your permission, but knowing it can be out in the world… perhaps you can overcome your fear and think on it like the potion master you are." Link said, his gaze never once going up as he let her make up her mind.

Porylusica looked down at him for several minutes, neither speaking. "You shall show it to me every time you visit." She eventually said and Link nodded his head once, showing no sign of eagerness or excitement. "If you should use it, and I deem your reason foolish, you shall never be welcome here again." She stated and Link once again nodded his head in understanding.

Present Day

Link took only another second before he removed the cork on the vial. Forgive me, Porlyusica. He thought as downed the purple tonic, wincing as rather than sour it burned its way down his throat. He didn't try to rationalize that she would understand, for each time he showed the full vial he could see the relief in her eyes. However, he needed to keep going, to protect, and so he would utilize everything at his disposal in order to do so. Link looked down as he felt his wounds start to close and his magical power return.

Link didn't try to fool himself into thinking it was a miracle tonic, and not just because of the stated side effect over prolonged use. If he burned through this reserve, his body would pay twice the cost in recovery. Still, if that is all that it takes, it's a price worth paying. Link determined as he returned the vial to his pouch and stood tall. A green aura surrounded him as he looked up the stairs and took off in a blur of motion.

Tower of Heaven Ship

Happy panted heavily as he landed Sho on the large, blue ship that had borne them to the Tower. Once he landed, he immediately collapsed as his wings disappeared into his back. "Thanks, Happy." Sho said as he kneeled next to the blue cat and got a weak grin in reply. The blonde looked up as Lucy, Milliana, and Juvia were all carried up by blue, square platforms as Wally's head floated up by itself.

"That's… unnerving to see." Lucy said uncomfortably as the three women stepped onto the ship. She and Juvia immediately dropped to their knees, still weak from their fight, as the platforms shimmered before Wally reformed.

"You kind of get used to it." Sho admitted and Lucy sighed, knowing how true such a statement proved to be. "Wally, can you turn the ship around?" He asked and Wally looked at him in surprise, a reaction shared by the other three. "We're not doing them any favors if we wait till the last second for the ship to be ready to leave." He explained to everyone's expression.

Wally nodded his head in agreement with a tilt of his hat before rapidly disassembling himself. "Milliana, can you help me with the anchor?" Sho asked and Milliana nodded her head before she went with Shot to the anchor windlass.

"Hold on, we can't just leave everyone!" Lucy protested and Juvia nodded her head emphatically in agreement.

"It's okay… Lucy…" Happy panted out with another weak grin. "Gray has a plan… to make an ice slide… to escape…" He explained and relief shone in Lucy's and Juvia's eyes at his words.

"The best thing we can do is get away from the blast zone at a spot they can see us." Sho determined as he and Milliana started to bring up the anchor.

Jellal's Throne Room

Erza sat with her knees drawn up, hugging them to her chest, her eyes distant. "Erza, are you sure about this?" Jellal asked as he sat next to her, one leg up and the other fully extended.

The redhead blinked before she looked over and offered a small smile. "I'm sure, Jellal." She said and got a small smile in response. Link should hopefully be almost done getting everyone out. She thought before a sudden sound from the stairway got her attention. Her brown eyes went wide in shock to see Link standing there, his blue eyes showing his own surprise as he took in the scene before him. Suddenly pain flashed in his eyes before he sighed and looked down. "Link, what… what are you doing here?" Erza asked as she slowly stood up. "You said you would get everyone out of here."

Link nodded his head before he looked back up and started walking towards them, Jellal now getting up uncertainly. "You were the closest one to reach." He said and Erza blinked before she looked to the side at his reasoning. "Sho should be getting to the ship with everyone held by him." He motioned to Jellal with his head, which caused both Erza and Jellal to look at him in surprise.

Erza hesitated for a few seconds before she nodded her head. "Very well." She said then motioned to one of the walls. "If we break through there, we can drop down from here." She said and Link slowly nodded as he watched her. "If you go down first, we'll jump down afterwards and-"

"Stop lying to me!" Link interrupted sharply, his hands clenched into fists, and Erza took a step back in surprise at his tone. "You didn't intend to follow my plan, you never intended to come back down, and now you don't intend to follow me down." He said as he glared at her and Erza looked away, unable to meet his eyes. "What are you here for?" Link asked calmly as he opened his hands back up.

"You… wouldn't understand." Erza said softly, still looking away.

"If our friendship, if our partnership, ever meant anything to you, then tell me." Link insisted and Erza's eyes went wide before she closed them again.

"I was safe…" Erza said then swallowed thickly as Link looked at her in surprise. "For eight years, I was able to learn… to grow… to feel safe…" She said as tears formed in her left eye. "For eight years, Jellal was possessed by the ghost of Zeref, my nakama were forced to work and slave away on this Tower, Simon forced to stay and watch over Sho, Milliana, and Wally." She said and then paused before she took a shaky breath. "I failed them, Link, and for that weakness, that sin I have to-"

"Death is not atonement, Erza." Link interrupted softly and Erza's eyes shot open in surprise. When she looked into Link's eyes she saw not sympathy or confusion, but rather empathy and understanding. "Death such as this is giving up, and you're far too strong for something like that." He said and her eyes wavered at the faith in his voice. "Erza, it's over. Everyone is free, you've defeated Jellal, and the Tower of Heaven will soon be destroyed." He said and Erza blinked at his words before she looked down, realization dawning in her eyes. "If Jellal is truly only possessed, I may know of a way to free him." He continued and Erza looked back up in shock, an expression Jellal shared. "Erza…" Link trailed off before he Ex-Equipped the Silver Gauntlets and held his left hand out to her. "Let's go home." He said with a small smile. Erza looked at him for several seconds before she swallowed and slowly started to bring her right hand up.

Before she could reply, the air suddenly went heavy and everything started to tremble. All three of them looked up in surprise as they realized what it foretold. "Link… take Erza and get out of here." Jellal said softly and both of them looked at him in surprise. "I can't take the chance you won't be able to free me, I'll stay here and pay the price for my weakness."

Erza looked at him with wide eyes before she shook her head. "No, I promised you I would stay with you to the end!" She stubbornly declared and then looked back at the Hylian. "Link, you have to get out of here before it's too late!" She implored him and Link looked at her for a few seconds before he closed his eyes with a sigh.

"Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom." Link responded as he looked up at the ceiling, determination flaring brightly like an inferno in his eyes. A golden glow came from his left hand and Erza froze in disbelief. "Keeper of law and the balance of the cosmos. Grant to me now thine holy protection, to hold back the tides of chaos!" He chanted and thrust his left hand up. "Nayru's Commandment!" He declared but nothing appeared to happen.

Tower of Heaven Ship

Lucy, Juvia, Sho, Wally, Milliana, and Happy all looked up in surprise at the massive blue crystal, fifty feet in diameter, which appeared above the Tower of Heaven as a large shield. Higher above, a massive, square magic seal could be seen, what they assumed portended Etherion. "What is that?" Sho asked, wondering if it was something Jellal had held back from them.

"That… that has to be Link's." Lucy said, recognizing the crystal as a flatter, much larger variation of Nayru's Love. "He's going to try and stop Etherion." She said and swallowed nervously.

"Is he mad?!" Wally demanded as he everyone but Happy looked at her in shock.

"Aye." Happy said solemnly as he continued to look up at the crystal, his paws clenched. "But something must be keeping them from getting out, so Link must have decided the only thing he can do is try and stop it!" He declared as tears started to form in his eyes. Natsu… Fear for his partner gripped his heart as he stared up at the impending clash.

"But that's impossible, all he'll end up doing is pointlessly losing his magic, nya!" Milliana shouted in frustration.

"No!" Lucy suddenly shouted and everyone looked at her in surprise. "If Link thinks he can do it, he must have something up his sleeve!" She declared and everyone blinked in surprise. "Even when it looked like he was just losing control, when it seemed everything was too chaotic, he had a plan to defeat Phantom Lord that worked! Isn't that right, Happy?" Lucy asked as she looked at him in confirmation. Happy looked at her in surprise, at the faith in her eyes, and nodded his head. "If Link thinks he can pull this off, then I would bet on him and anyone else from Fairy Tail over anything!" She said determinedly before she ran forward to grab the railing and looked up with firm eyes.

Everyone continued to look at her as a large, white light started to form before the massive seal.

"Aye!" Happy suddenly said with a challenging smile on his face as he turned his gaze to the sky and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Juvia will take that same bet." Juvia added firmly as she stepped up next Lucy, looking up as well.

Sho swallowed as his right hand clenched into a fist before he quickly joined them. "DO IT, MAHARATHI! SAVE NEE-SAN LIKE YOU PROMISED! SAVE THEM ALL!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, and his passion got Wally and Milliana to join them at the rail.

Etherion Firing Chamber

Everyone in the Firing Chamber looked at the blue crystal in a mix of confusion and curiosity before Org slammed his staff on the ground. "And thus we pray." He intoned solemnly.

Jellal's Throne Room

"You… you think you can hold back Etherion?" Jellal asked in disbelief as he walked up on Erza's right side and placed his hand by her right shoulder blade. Erza looked as if she needed the contact as she continued to stare at Link in stunned disbelief.

Etherion Firing Chamber

"And thus we pray." Michello and several other Council Members intoned.

Jellal's Throne Room

"Do you have any idea how reckless that sounds?" Jellal asked but once again Link didn't reply as he brought his right hand up to grasp his forearm in support. "Do you really have that kind of power!?" He demanded angrily and Erza blinked at his tone before she finally seemed to notice his tingling hand.

Etherion Firing Chamber

"And thus we pray." Siegrain and Ultear intoned, Yajima looking on with anger in his eyes.

Jellal's Throne Room

"Not power." Link corrected softly as the glow on his left hand gained in intensity and Jellal's anger turned to confusion. The Triforce could be firmly seen through the glow, focused primarily from the bottom right triangle that shone with the intensity of the sun.

Etherion Firing Chamber

"And thus we pray to the Sacred Light!" Org declared as he raised his staff into the air. "Activate Etherion!" He ordered and one of the magical technicians pushed a button on his console.

Jellal's Throne Room

Link's eyes remained steady as they heard the roar of Etherion firing down at them.

"Courage."


Kirin-kinzoku – Kirin Metal

Seiryu-mizu – Seiryu Water

Suzaku-hi – Suzaku Fire

Byakko-kaze – Byakko Wind

Genbu-tsuchi – Genbu Earth


Okay, so I would just like to say that I don't believe that Mugetsu-Ryu actually could have destroyed the Master Sword. Next thing is Link's concern about it being able to go against Mugetsu-Ryu. He just watched it easily slice through a powerful defensive spell and then the Biggoron Sword, a blade he has never had to really worry about before, as if they were soft butter. While Link wouldn't think it would be destroyed like that, he certainly wouldn't be able to dismiss the possibility of it taking any damage from such a blade in the hands of a swordmaster like Ikaruga. Instead, he decided to do what Link does best; find a better way to win.

Speaking of Ikaruga, her spells are obviously different. Why? Because in looking into them out of curiosity I found that Yasha, or Yaksha, is a Hindu word that means demon. Coupled with Garuda, a mystical bird and mount to one of their four guardian deities, I was excited and looked into further expanding it with other elements as a possible theft of the blade from Avyactha. Other than Naga being a possibility for water, I couldn't find good comparisons for other elements; though there probably are and I just missed it. Remembering something else about four guardians, I turned to the ones you read about; Suzaku, Seiryu, Gengu, and Byakko for Japan to fit in better with her attire and weapon choice. I was actually reminded about Kirin while reading through them, which to me fit in perfectly with the up close slashes she does. Hopefully the change wasn't too bad, but I liked them better this way to give her more variety to counter just about anything.

No Into the Past this time, apologies, but I'm on a bit of a time crunch and wanted to get this out before I'd be out of touch for a bit. I'll still be able to work on the next chapter and will get it up as soon as I can, but didn't have the time to get an Into the Past for this one.

Thanks to Vandbenz for being my beta reader.

Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.

Till next time.