Geoffrey's Legacy
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Fairy Tail - all rights and stuff belong to Hiro Mashima. If I was the one to start Fairy Tail, fan-service wouldn't be so prominent and there would be side-series' focused on Irene's ascension to a Queen, how the Mermaid Heel, Lamia Scale and Phantom Lord guilds came to be, Makarov's rise to Guild Master and how Gildarts joined Fairy Tail and became Guild Ace. I only own self-made characters, magic and storylines (I don't).
"The problem is, of course, that these interest groups are all asking for changes, but their enthusiasm for change rapidly disappears when it affects the core of their own interests." - Angela Merkel
Chapter 22.
She could've been making friends and messing around with them, going on challenging missions and earning jewels to make a living as a mage.
But no. Here she was; part of some psychopathic cult who intended to destroy the reputation of the Zentopia Church and revive some weird named Zeref.
After this, joining a guild was no doubt out of the question.
Mermaid Heel? Phantom Lord with Master Jose Porla? Fairy Tail with Master Makarov Dreyar?
Giving out the location of the cult wouldn't help her in the slightest. She'd be locked away for life or executed for being terrorist.
All that studying and learning at the Academy for Aspiring Magic? It was all for nothing.
Yet it would so easy to leave.
With a swipe of her hand, Akula could open up a spatial doorway and walk into another country.
However, nothing was so simple.
She was already an international criminal. And she'd be no doubt be arrested and extradited back to Fiore.
Akula had 'WANTED' posters everywhere. Men, women and children would recognise her. And Arc of Space, though powerful, didn't make one invincible.
"What are you thinking about?" A voice behind her hissed.
Taken by surprise, Akula leapt about a foot into the air. She quickly turned around to see how had spoken and found Roark Highsail standing behind her, his purple eyes staring her down like a piece of raw meat.
'How much you've ruined my life' was what she wanted to say.
"A-About how glorious it will be to tear the Zentopia Church to the ground, Master." Akula replied, feeling sick to her stomach.
Roark nodded eagerly, oblivious to her disgust, "Their downfall will indeed be glorious. With the full nature of their crimes exposed, it will lead to the collapse of religion across Earthland as people lose faith in their religion and question the purity of their leaders. They have deceived the people long enough and it is time for them to be exposed."
"It is indeed. Master, when you have the Archbishop kneeling before you, having understood the full scale of his crimes, what will you do to him?" Akula asked.
"Tell him that he was a fool to think that he could deceive the people of Earthland forever. Then, after I bask in his torment and despair, I shall slit his throat and keep his head as a trophy." Roark said, smiling like a lunatic.
"Fantastic, Master," Akula said, fighting back the urge to vomit as she tucked some brown hair behind her ear, "You will be seen as a hero by those who've felt deceived by the Zentopia Church."
"Indeed. Everything comes to an end at some point. Now, its their turn. I will be in charge of the biggest anti-religion movement that Earthland has ever seen and every religious institution, no matter how big or small, will burn in hellfire like the scum they really are. I will empty the world of religion; perfect setting for the resurgence of the Dark Lord."
"And what will we do when the Dark Lord returns thanks to your selfless actions?"
"Serve him until our time comes to an end." Roark declare, then dramatically turned around and left.
Not a few moments later, Akula retched and heaved - both wet and dry - into the nearest toilet until her stomach cramped painfully. Then, hoping nobody heard her, she sobbed and cried.
"Commander Cracy?"
As they walked, Byro glanced at the brunette Legion Corps legionnaire who'd just addressed him, appearing slightly apprehensive as she did so.
"Legionnaire? Do you have something to say?" He asked.
Coco - whose bluish nose, thanks to Henderson, was returning to its normal colour - paused for a moment, then cleared her throat.
"I was just thinking. That criminal, Henderson Quake, we may not have fought him, but felt his magic power. Assuming the other cult members are just like him, should we not delay and request backup. Perhaps additional Phantom Lord mages or a squadron of Rune Knights?" She suggested.
Byro nodded slowly, taking in what she'd said.
"I understand your concern, but delaying for a backup request would be unwise."
"Sir?" Coco replied, keeping pace as Samuel hovered in-between them.
"The Zentopia Church only discovered the location of this cult thanks to their mole. Henderson coming to see us notwithstanding, they know we're coming. Delaying our approach would give them the chance to relocate." Byro stated.
"And," Samuel began, hovering closer to Coco, "they may dispose of their mole, assuming they find out about her transgression against them. Without her, Zentopia may never get another chance at expelling her current foe."
Coco nodded, "I understand, sir. I apologize for questioning you."
"There's nothing to apologize for," Byro waved her off, "and as for backup, Samuel and I have been forward thinking. As powerful as Phantom Lord may be, I wouldn't rely solely on their strength."
"Sir?"
"Before we left, I sent out an aid request to the Rune Knights. I'd expect at least one of their Custody Enforcement Unit Captains to turn up." The middle-aged Duke of the Legion Corps said.
"I understand, sir. The more the merrier."
Despite himself, Byroi nearly sweatdropped at that. Samuel even let out a light snort.
"Given the circumstances, I wouldn't have used 'merrier', but I understand what you're trying to say," Byro respond, "the more combatants we have, the higher our chances of success are."
Coco nodded.
With that conversation over, they continued forwards in silence and Byro noticed that the Phantom Lord mages seemed much more alert than before.
Totomaru was lightly grasping his katana's hilt, ready to draw the blade out at a moment's notice.
Lorraine was fingering an arrowhead, and Byro couldn't help but notice that the signature of her magic power was slowly but surely becoming like that of a mage who'd used Fire Magic their entire life.
Gajeel, although he appeared incredibly relaxed, had magic coating his ears to enhance his hearing and every half a minute, his eyes would shift from left to right, then back again.
That was good.
After the skirmish with the Lizardmen, creatures capable surprising even the toughest of mages and most experienced of Rune Knights and members of the Legion Corps, and the unexpected appearance of one of the cult members, they were now taking this absolutely seriously.
That was more than what he could say for most Legion Corps recruits when they went on the first patrols.
Too many seemed to have been fooled by their faith for the Zentopia Church that their all-powerful religion would protect them from harm. Most got themselves killed and realized their mistakes in their final moments.
The rare few who weren't morons would survive their encounters against the enemies of the Legion Corps and learn to actually take care of themselves.
Fortunately, Sugarboy, Coco and Mary had been smart enough to act properly on their first patrols as part of the Legion Corps.
Gajeel suddenly stopped and raised a hand, prompting everyone else to stop.
"Hold up, I hear someone approaching. Lorraine, your 3'o'clock. Give or take, 30 seconds." He stated.
The female Phantom Lord mage nocked an arrow into her recurve bow and aimed in the direction specified.
(Magnolia Town Kardia Cathedral - 2 hours earlier)
"Mr Cracy, of all the people I expected to be getting contacted by, you were last on my list. What can I do for you?"
Byro Cracy was stood in one of the Kardia Cathedral's empty rooms, arms crossed and face as unreadable as a block of stone as he stared down a communications lacrima which had the Captain of the 5th Custody Enforcement Unit.
"Ms. Celadon. I'm requesting for your assistance in taking down the Pergrande Satanists."
"The Pergrande Satanists? My, what a name." Amber replied on the other end of the lacrima, aghast.
"Indeed. They are a dangerous group of individuals and the existence of the Zentopia Church is currently under threat by them."
The Captain narrowed her eyes, "Say no more, you have my aid. Just let me prepare and get another Captain to come and stand in for me. I'm currently deployed near Magnolia Town, but for the sake of the Zentopis Church, I'm sure the Magic Council would have no problem with me being temporarily redeployed."
"Very well," Byro nodded, "The Legion Corps will be waiting for you at the Kardia Cathedral, but if we're not there, then move ahead to the forests by eastern Magnolia Town."
"Understood. I look forwards to working with you." Amber said.
"Likewise." Byro replied, cutting off his magic power to the lacrima.
This was good. With or without mages from Phantom Lord, whom the Zentopia Church had considerable connections to, having one of the Custody Enforcement Unit Captains would bolster the Legion Corps' chances of success in dealing with the Pergrande Satanists.
The only issue was that Amber Celadon was young, not even in her twenties, and though capable, she lacked experience which would've made one of the other Captains a much better asset.
Captain Tyson Hammer of the 3rd Custody Unit had 25 years of experience and, while he was a complete and utter fool, was one of the few people who could give the likes the Gildarts Clive, the Ace of Fairy Tail and one of the most powerful men in Earthland, a run for his money.
Captain Lahar of the 4th Custody Unit, though only 23 years old with 5 years of experience on Amber, was a very by-the-books man and his skill with Jutsu Shiki magic was near unparalleled and would prevent the cult from escaping, whether by physical or magical means.
And finally, Captain Reyes of the 8th Custody Unit was incredibly capable with Shadow Magic and Guns Magic, being a living, breathing one-man army. Byro didn't know much about him, classified and redacted information and all, but from what he did know is that he'd take great satisfaction in disposing of the Pergrande Satanists.
Oh well. Beggars can't be choosers.
(Back to Present Time)
Lorraine inhaled and exhaled slowly, keeping her recurve bow aimed at head height as she waited for whichever creature and individual Gajeel had heard to reveal itself to her and the others.
Where she was aiming, there was a large bush and it was blocking her view of whatever was approaching.
She nearly let the arrow fly when a branch, located somewhere behind the bush, cracked loudly as it was stepped on.
Lorraine faintly heard someone curse.
Gajeel raised a non-existent eyebrow, "Sounds like a woman. And if they're trying to sneak up on us, then they're doing a piss poor job about it."
"My sweet man, do you think it could be Akula?" Sugarboy asked, posing dramatically like a theatre actor trying to dance.
The Iron Dragon Slayer shot him a disgusted glare, "Maybe. And don't ever call me a 'sweet man'; ever again or I'll punch your teeth in.
Byro, who looked as cool as cucumber, whistled and Sugarboy fell silent instead of making any kind of retort to Gajeel.
The bush rustled softly, causing Lorraine to tense in anticipation, then a feminine face, framed by shoulder length, milk chocolate coloured hair, peeked out from the bush.
"Hey gu- whoa, Lorraine, point that thing elsewhere!"
The blonde complied, lowering her bow and allowing the arrow to disappear in a small flash of light.
"Sorry about that. Thought you were one of the Pergrande Satanists' minions." Lorraine apologise, flashing the Rune Knight a smile.
Amber shrugged, waving her off.
"Apology accepted. By the way, I saw the trial of destruction you guys left behind with those Lizardmen, Giants and Gremlins," Amber added, "you lot went wild. Go to see you again, Gajeel."
Gajeel nodded back, "Captain. How come your here?"
"Byro made a request for my assistance. The Magic Council was more than happy to extend their assistance to the Zentopia Church." Amber said.
Totomaru smirked, as Byro started walking ahead "More strength in greater numbers. These psychopathic bastards won't know what hit them."
Heeding his words, Amber glanced at Mary and almost became depressed when she noticed that the legionnaire had a bigger bust than she did, then brightened up upon noticing Coco.
'Yes, I'm not the only one!' She thought, internally jumping for joy.
Too bad for her, Coco would end up developing a moderately-sized chest in a few years from now.
Then, she jogged ahead to catch up to and match pace with Byro.
"So, you already told me about the Pergrande Satanists, but what are we actually dealing with?" The brunette inquired.
"I assume you know of Akula Garza?"
Amber nodded, "Yep, that prodigy from the Academy for Aspiring Mages who vanished soon after her graduation. What about her, don't tell me she's in league with those bastards?"
"Yes... and no."
"That's not a helpful answer. She's either working with them or not." Amber said, frowning.
"She's a mole. Akula is the one who gave us the current hideout of the Pergrande Satanists. Furthermore, given how she isn't wrapped up within their ideals, and by that I mean killing people left, right and centre, she wants her freedom back." Byro stated.
Amber hummed, "She hopes that without blood on her hands, and the fact that she stitched them up, the Magic Council will lighten her sentences."
The middle-aged man nodded, "Yes, without a doubt. And once the fighting begins, it should be pretty easy to turn her onto our side. This is a woman who was dreaming big, hoping to join one of the top guilds in Fiore. Why would she throw away her life to join a group of murdering psychopaths?"
"Forced," Amber deduced, "faced with a likely ultimatum of 'join us or die', Akula weighted up her choices and picked the former."
"That is the unfortunate likelihood." Byro said, sounding slightly solemn.
Amber then licked her lips, "If she truly has put on a mask for these cultists, and really does intend to leave them behind and fights alongside us, then I'll vouch for her when the Magic Council puts her on trial."
Byro glanced at her, "As will I. Now, with that aside, I'd assume, with you being a Rune Knight Captain, you know about the leader of the Pergrande Satanists."
"Of course," the brunette nodded, "I'm constantly informed regarding the whereabouts and status of every known dark mage in the country. Roark Highsail is their Cult Master."
The Duke of the Legion Corps returned his gaze to observe whatever was in-front of him, "Yes, he's missing-"
"A finger on his right hand; ring finger to be more precise. He lost it when he fought Tyson Hammer of the 3rd Custody Enforcement Unit after trying to assassinate the Bosco ambassador to the Kingdom of Fiore at the Fiore-Bosco border."
Byro raised a slim, grey eyebrow, "Tyson Hammer? That unique fool?"
Amber chuckled, "Yeah, he was so chuffed with himself. Apparently, he wouldn't stop boasting about it until Captain Amari put him to sleep for a month and specifically sought out a mage who specialised in Fear Magic to give him nightmares."
"Braggarts are usually the worst kind of people." Samuel sniffed.
Kanaloa made a noise of agreement.
Amber shook her head and chuckled, prompting Byro to raise an eyebrow.
"I don't understand what's humorous, but I shall fill you in on the rest of the Pergrande Satanists." He said.
The Rune Knight nodded and motioned for him to go ahead.
"The first is Quentin Beta." Byro said, and would've continued, but Amber apparently felt the need to give him a briefing.
"Aged 38, stands at 6'6ft, tends to walk around shirtless and is known for his remarkable physical strength. Brown haired, blue eyed. Uses Requip: The Bomber. This magic allows him to pick and chose between a variety of high-explosive weaponry for the sole purpose of blowing things up. Given his ability to harden his skin, Gajeel would be a great counter for his guy's magic." Amber said informatively.
Byro wasn't about to start complaining.
The more information he got about the members of the Pergrande Satanists, the better.
Requesting her presence for this task had already proved to a smart decision on his part.
"Sounds like a complete and utter fool. Who walks around shirtless?" Samuel sniffed with disdain.
Amber shrugged, "Someone who wants Earthland to see how buff he is."
The Exceed paused for a moment, processing the unfamiliar word into his vernacular.
"To my understanding, 'buff' is another word for muscular. How 'buff' is this man?" Samuel asked.
"By buff, I mean buff like Gildarts buff."
"Ah, I see."
"Doesn't matter how 'buff' he is, we'll take him down regardless," Byro replied, "thank for that information, Captain. The second is Statham Gear, a former mage of the Sabretooth guild."
"Aged 26, stands at 5'11ft and has an X-shaped scar on the right side of his forehead. Black haired, grey eyed. Uses Darkness Magic. Is capable of something called 'Shadow Travel' where he walks into a shadow, entering something called the Shadow Realm, and emerges from another anywhere in Earthland. It's effectively teleportation." Amber explained.
Byro's eyebrows twitched as he resisted the urge to scowl.
Sounded like a highly troublesome individual. But it was nothing which Samuel's Battle Mode Shift and Coco's incredible reflexes and proficiency in Athletic Magic couldn't handle. Sugarboy's magic would also slow him down.
"Sorted," Byro and Samuel said, simultaneously.
Amber's face became one of surprise, "Oh wow, you've both already thought about who'd be bested suited to stopping Statham Gear? That quickly?"
If flying cats could smirk, Samuel just did.
The middle-aged Duke of the Legion Corps simply nodded.
"Damn, and I thought that I had to think fast as a Rune Knight Captain," Amber said.
"You do. I've just got years of experience over you when it comes to quick thinking and tactical planning," Byro said, modest, "anyways, enough about us, the third is Julius Shade."
"Age 33, stands at 6'1ft and is believed to have blonde hair and green eyes-"
"Believed to?" Byro interrupted.
"This guy spends so much time hidden by his Concealment Magic that very few people have gotten a good look at him. Blonde hair and green eyes is what people who've claimed to see him for more than a few seconds have said he has. For all we know, he could really have light brown or orange hair, and blue eyes." Amber clarified.
"I understand. Forgive my interruption." Byro said.
Amber waved off his apology, "It's no problem. Concealment Magic, as anyone well versed in magic would know, simply hides the user from view, but Julius would have to take extra care with not make too much noise when moving around. And Bullet Magic is, well, Bullet Magic. He shoots raw magic shaped as bullets."
Byro was aware of Samuel glancing at him.
Gajeel's enhanced hearing and Iron Dragon's Scales would be a good contender to nullify both Concealment and Bullet Magic, but he was better set opposite Quentin Beta, the explosive nutjob.
That Phantom woman, Lorraine Xanthine, had already demonstrated exceptional hearing of her own when she shot the gremlin which had been spying on them. And if she was a good with that recurve bow as he hoped she'd be, then she would have no problem returning fire when Julius shot at her.
Additionally, his Nullification Magic would do well with stopping any magic bullet fired in his direction.
Of course, these were hypothetical matchups. When they entered the Pergrande Satanists' hideout, they'd simply have to adjust and improvise against whomever they went up against and not get themselves killed in the process.
"Very well. And finally, Henderson Quake," Byro said, then added, "there's no need to go into detail about his appearance, we already know what he looks like."
"Ice God Slayer Magic... Given how rare it is, like Dragon Slayer Magic, I can't give you any solid details. However, what I can tell you is that the ice he produces is totally black and if he exerts his magic power hard enough, he'd have no problem freezing over an area as large as Magnolia Town. He's done it before, freezing the capital of Seven and leaving it a cold hellscape with the federal government as the only survivors." Amber explained.
"My goodness," Samuel uttered, disgusted, "how many people did he kill?"
Amber hummed, "The official numbers have never been released, especially since the government of Seven is heavy of censorship and downplaying tragic events, only told Earthland that only 50,000 people died, but official estimates range between 1.5 to 1.9 million people dead."
"That man. As if being in the Pergrande Satanists didn't make him despicable trash enough. He then goes and takes the lives of all those innocent people." Byro said, an undertone of fury in his usually neutral voice.
He internally recited the standard prayer and blessing of the Zentopia Church to all those who'd been murdered by the Pergrande Satanists.
Totomaru and his Rainbow Magic would be the best possible counter to this Ice God Slayer Magic, although Byro was seriously considering contacting Master Makarov of Fairy Tail and asking if he could employ his destructive Fire Dragon Slayer.
The dual-colour haired mage would simply have to hold out for as long as he could until someone else could come and bail him out.
And Mary would be an ideal partner. She had already demonstrated the ability to copy Iron Dragon Slayer with her Command Magic - Third Movement, so she should have no problem doing the same with Ice God Slayer Magic.
"Sir." Samuel said, just as Amber called out to him.
Byro stopped, cursing himself upon realising that he'd been so caught up in his thoughts that he'd nearly walked straight into an open clearing full of Wyverns, Forest Vulcans and... even more Gremlins?
'How could I have been so careless, and who provided me with incorrect information?' Byro thought.
He then looked past the crowd of monsters and gazed off into the distance.
Further down a long trail, slightly more than a kilometre away, was the old mansion which served as the hideout of the Pergrande Satanists.
Victory for the Zentopia Church was within reach!
"Pfft, more scrubs for me to kick the shit out of." Gajeel said behind him, scoffing.
"Oh please, you've done more than enough shit kicking." Lorraine said, stepping up to stand besides Byro.
The others, bar Samuel who almost always flew by his side, followed her example and the Iron Dragon Slayer cracked his knuckles in anticipation.
Unfortunately, they'd have to fight their way through. Wyverns and Forest Vulcans had incredible hearing, and the latter had a thing picking up on attractive human women - something Coco, Amber, Mary and Lorraine were.
"Sir? Will we circle around them and conserve our magic power for the real fight?" Samuel inquired, adjusting his glasses.
Byro shook his head, "No, we'll dispose of them right now. Avoiding them could present trouble later if they found our scents and followed."
He glanced at Amber who nodded, clearing having had the same idea as him.
As he turned back to the assortment of monsters, something long and brown flew past his right side and Totomaru raised a hand, catching an arrow which would've hit him between the eyes.
A gremlin, armed with a rudimentary bow and arrow, hissed and snarled at them.
Then an arrow became lodged into its face. It was dead before it hit the ground.
The other gremlins, alerted to their presence, started screaming and hollering at the top of their lungs.
The Wyvern extended their arms and roared, proudly displaying their leather-like webbed wings and teeth which were sharp enough to tear through flesh.
The Vulcans, priorities elsewhere, immediately zeroed in on Amber, Mary, Coco and Lorraine. They grinned perversely, started dancing and thrusting their hips and began chanting 'Woman! Woman! Woman!'
Coco grew visibly uncomfortable the more the Vulcans chanted.
Mary looked like it was the funniest thing she'd since in a long time.
"Amber." Lorraine said, her grip on Oath of the Huntress tightening.
"Yes?"
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"That those perverted creatures need to be silenced? Yes." Amber deadpanned, drawing her Adaptive Magic Pistols - Casull and Jackal.
Coco moved so she was closer to the Rune Knight, her face flush with embarrassment, "I-I, um, yes, I think I'll join you."
With that settled - Mary apparently thought it'd be more interesting to watch them vent their frustrations - Lorraine let loose an arrow and it exploded upon hitting a Vulcan in the face, then targeted another and shocked it into unconsciousness.
Coco blurred from view, thanks to her magic, and reappeared behind a Vulcan, kicking it in the back of its knees. It yelped and crumpled to the floor, silenced by a follow-up punch the base of the skull and a kick to the jaw.
She then executed a backflip, allowing two rapidly approaching Vulcans to clock each other in the face and start fighting each other.
Most people, when trying to do so with the aid of Athletic Magic, would've simply shattered their spine since their body couldn't handle the recoil caused by the sheer physical power provided by the aforementioned magic.
Hence why the Magic Council had banned it.
Too many young people had left themselves crippled, unaware of how much force was exerted on the body when using Athletic Magic.
Coco herself had been caught out when she first used it at eleven years old, breaking her ankles after trying to run 600 metres in 20 seconds.
Byro had witnessed the incident - impressed by the fact the Coco had tried to get up to run again through the pain rather than lying there and crying about it - and after her recovery, introduced her to the wonder that was the Zentopia Church and trained her to the point where Athletic Magic barely had any affect on her body unless she went all out with Second Origin.
Young, easily excitable and initially ignorant as to what the training would entail, Coco cried but never complained, and would eventually thank Byro for it.
Another Vulcan dropped to the ground as her leg, coated in magic power to enhance her blow, struck it in her neck, snapping it.
Gunshots rang out, courtesy of Amber Celadon, who rapidly switched between targets without having to reload. She was going for non-lethal shots to render the Vulcans incapable of fighting and following when they moved on - shots to the ankles, knees, base of the skull and... reproductive organs.
Not having to reload was a godsend for Amber.
High-power, hollow point rounds were very effective when amplified by one's magic power and Amber had learned to create them with her magic, meaning she could happily fire away as long as she had magic to draw from.
Amber aimed at a Vulcan which tried to rush her from the right, but it was stopped short by a flaming arrow to the chest. Barely a second later, the Vulcan screamed and began rolling around as it burst into flames.
"Thanks, Lorraine."
"You're welcome." The blonde called back, jumping over a Vulcan who tried to rugby tackle her.
It got an electrical arrow to the back of the head for its troubles; muscles seized as large amounts of electrical energy coursed through its system, spreading to another Vulcan who tripped over the first.
It took all of five minutes to dispose of the Vulcans.
Their singlemindedness over the thought of having a human woman to themselves prevented them from actually fighting back.
Totomaru had rushed into the mass of five dozen gremlins, the sun reflecting off his katana as the blade sliced through the air with unerring precision, introducing death to whatever it cut through
Precision that could only come through many years of practice.
With short arms and knives which were barely bigger than his hand, it was impossible for any of the gremlins to get within his guard.
And any that did were simply burnt to a crisp with Rainbow Fire.
He sidestepped out of the way of the stab, beheading the hapless gremlin before it could reposition itself, then spun around and sliced another in two from the right shoulder to left hip. The two halves slid against each other before falling to the floor.
Stabbing another from the throat and ignoring its pained gasps, Totomaru thrust out a hand and mustered his Rainbow Fire, orange flames exploding to life in his hand before washing over the remaining gremlins who screamed as they burned.
"Iron Dragon's Club!"
Gajeel thrust his right arm forwards and watched as the single, remaining Wyvern caught the appendage. It roared at him - the noise rattled his sensitive ears - and yanked, pulling him in before landing a punch to his chest.
He grunted and rolled as he hit the dirt, a battle-hungry grin arcing across his face.
These were, without a doubt, the toughest monsters he'd ever fought.
They were a lot more durable than the giants from before, being able to withstand an Iron Dragon's Roar from point-blank range and using their wings to keep out of range of most of his attacks was a sign of intelligence.
Amber and Lorraine stepping in, once they had dealt with the Vulcans, stopped him from exerting too much magic power in trying to take them down.
No he was left with one more Wyvern and no matter how many times or how hard he hit it, it just wouldn't go down.
But he welcomed that. This thing going down like the giants would just be a massive disappointment.
"Come 'ere, shithead. I'll grind your face into paste." Gajeel laughed as he rushed towards the Wyvern.
Stopping just short of the Wyvern, and avoiding a punch as a result, Gajeel unleashed an Iron Dragon's Roar which slammed into the monster, obscuring it from view.
Second later, a green and scaled hand reached through his technique and grabbed his face, forcing him to stop the attack before iron shards were launched into his face. Feeling himself be lifted up, Gajeel grunted as his Wyvern slammed him into the ground.
Covering his body in Iron Dragon's Scales allowed him to withstand a punch that partially buried him into the ground..
The follow up punch was met with an Iron Dragon's Hard Fist, the sound of metal impacting flesh cracked through the air, and his free arm shifted into a spiked club which he used to strike the Wyvern in the face.
The monster hissed and staggered back, then kicked Gajeel in the side as he picked himself out of the ground, launching him over to a nearby tree which collapsed as he struck it.
Gajeel grunted, then his eyes widened and he rolled himself to one side as the Wyvern - which had taken flight - dropped out of the sky and stomped on the tree trunk he'd been lying on.
It shattered as easily as a twig would under it strength and weight.
The Wyvern twisted around and lunged at him, snarling as it did so, a fist cocked back to throw yet another punch which he deftly knocked aside and then punched the Wyvern's knee, grinning with satisfaction when the kneecap visibly shifted underneath the blow.
The Wyvern cried out as it fell onto the injured knee before being hit, point-blank, by an Iron Dragon's Roar which threw it backwards.
When the attack cleared up, Gajeel saw the Wyvern was still getting back up, but at a much slower pace than before. Plus, his signature roar had managed to tear into the creature's tough skin, leaving small lacerations.
Then Totomaru appeared in mid-air, seemingly materializing into the fray with Coco on his back, dismembering the Wyvern with one swift cut from his flaming katana, relieving it of its left arm from the elbow.
The Wyvern screamed, clutching at its newly formed stump as blood leaked out from between its fingers
Multiple gunshots rang out, no doubt coming from Amber Celadon, and multiple holes appeared all over the Wyvern's body. It staggered back and then an arrow lodged itself into its right eye, followed up by an arrow piercing the creature through the mouth as it screamed even more.
"Stay down now, asshole. Iron Dragon's Roar!"
A vortex of compressed air and iron shards slammed into the Wyvern, exacerbating the wounds it had already sustained previously and knocking it unconscious. Gajeel let out a sigh of relief when the Wyvern made no move to get back up, allowing his Iron Dragon's Scales to fade away.
Totomaru and Coco were the first to approach - like he needed their help to cut off a monster's arm. He could totally have done that on his own!
They were both talking about something.
"That Athletic Magic really is incredible. You're rather good at using it." Totomaru stated, sheathing his katana.
"Not as good as I could be." The brunette replied modesty.
The dual-colour haired mage chuckled, "You downplay yourself too much. I'm fast, but I've never moved that quickly before. If it weren't for you, that Wyvern would've intercepted my strike."
Coco nodded as the processed the statement, smiling ever so slightly.
She stood to attention as Byro approached them, not even sparing at glance to the fallen Wyvern or any of the other fallen creatures, including its brethren.
Totomaru straightened out his back ever so slightly.
"Is anyone hurt?" The Duke of Legion Corps questioned, his voice carrying through the clearing.
"No, sir." Coco replied.
Totomaru just shook his head.
Apparently satisfied with the answer, although it was impossible to tell since Byro's expression barely shifted, the middle-aged man turned to Gajeel who fixed him with an scrutinizing stare.
The Iron Dragon Slayer glanced down at himself, tearing his nearly destroyed shirt away from his body and crossing his arms. There were bruises here and there from his scraps with the Wyverns, but Gajeel barely registered them.
"You're hurt." Byro deadpanned.
"It's just a few fucking bruises. I'm fine, I ain't no pansy." Gajeel growled, narrowing his eyes.
Byro nodded and began walking ahead, "Very well. We'll continue onwards to the mansion. The Pergrande Satanists will no doubt be waiting for us."
At the old mansion, Henderson shook his head and smirked, lowering the binoculars he'd been holding up to his eyes to see off into the distance.
The Wyverns had put up a good fight, especially against the Iron Dragon Slayer, but in the end, like the monsters before them, they too hadn't been strong enough to take out any of the disgusting infidels who were marching straight to their deaths.
"What's so funny?" A gruff voice behind him said.
Henderson crossed his arms, "Those morons just took out the Wyverns and now they're heading straight towards us. They know our magic, but I doubt they actually have solid plans to counter us."
"Plans or not, we'll beat them and show 'em the truth. Like the boss said."
"Exactly. Master Highsail will open their eyes. I'm just curious as to how strong that Dragon Slayer is. He's so riled up that I can practically taste his magic power, even though he's all the way over there." Henderson stated.
"You wanna fight him?"
Henderson rolled his eyes and then turned to face the shirtless man behind him, eyeing the long tube-like weapon he held and warhead secured to the front.
"Of course. I haven't had a good fight in ages and I hope he can give me one. Shoot at him," Henderson ordered, walking over to a window with a view of the clearing and opening it, "if he dies, then he clearly wasn't worth my time."
Quentin Beta grinned as he walked over to the window, flipping up the rocket launcher's iron sights and aiming as the black warhead thrummed lightly with magic power.
"Pop goes the weasel, kid."
Then he pulled the trigger.
By now, they were only 300 metres out from the mansion where the Pergrande Satanists were waiting for them.
Lorraine was pretty confident that no monsters would come bursting out of the trees to ambush them. They would've done so long before they were so close to the mansion.
With the inclusion of Amber, Byro had partially revised their battle plan.
Him storming the ground floor with Kanaloa and Samuel remained unchanged, as did herself storming the second and top floor of the mansion with Gajeel and Coco.
Amber Celadton would now being joining Sugarboy, Mary Hughes and Totomaru in storming the first floor.
Her eyes narrowed when she saw one of the windows on the top floor shift as if someone had opened it. Was the Pergrande Satanists spying on them? It'd make more sense than trying to attack them from over 200 metres away.
Most magical techniques became practically harmless when the attack expended most of the magic it was composed of in holding itself together. For example, Gajeel's Iron Dragon Roar would be reduced from a murderous blender to a slightly harmful gust at that distance.
There was a puff of smoke from the window.
She yelped as Gajeel twisted around and pushed her and Totomaru to one side, sending them sprawling to the ground as the Dragon Slayer's skin shifted to a metallic grey.
Lorraine heard a loud 'FWOOSH' and then something that moved almost too quickly for her eyes to follow, slammed into Gajeel's chest and exploded, pushing him backwards and momentarily obscuring him behind a lingering cloud of dust and smoke.
"What the fuck was that?" Totomaru asked, scrambling to his feet and helping Lorraine to her.
"No idea. Is Gajeel okay?"
They watched as Gajeel marched through the dust cloud, revealing black scorch marks on his iron skin and snarled, "That was the actions of some crazy son of a bitch who wants to die horribly."
"Move!" Byro barked.
As one, the group of ten ran towards the mansion, hoping they were moving quickly enough so whoever shot at them couldn't repeat the action, and within seconds they were outside that mansion which served as the Pergrande Satanists base of operations.
This was it.
"Positions." Byro ordered, standing directly behind the front door to the ground floor with a shrunken Kanaloa - the octopus creature was now the same size as him, as opposed to towering over him - and Samuel.
Amber, Mary, Totomaru and Sugarboy jogged up the stairs on the left side and stood in-front of the door which would grant them access to the first floor.
Mary twirled Holy Tact as Amber raised her magic handguns.
"Are you ready, my sweet and spicy man?" Sugarboy asked, winking and posing at the other male assigned to his group.
Totomaru cringed, "Yes, and please don't ever say that again."
Coco, Lorraine and Gajeel were stood outside of the door which'd grant them access to the second and top floor.
The Legion Corps legionnaire's feet were enveloped in Magic Power as she settled into a pre-running stance.
Lorraine had an arrow nocked into Oath of the Huntress, ready to shoot at the first thing she saw beyond the door.
Gajeel, still covered in the Iron Dragon's Scales, punched his open hand in anticipation and then kicked the door down, knocking it off its hinges and snapping it in half.
Stood in the doorway, he hadn't even managed to step foot into the room before he became aware of the biting cold which chilled his bones through his defensive armour. The next thing he was aware of was the mass of black ice surging towards him.
"Oh fuck."
A/N: Chapter 22 is here. Again, one of my longest chapters at over 6,900 words prior to this authors note. Please follow, favourite and review - tell me whether you're excited about the prospect of Iron Dragon Slayer Magic vs Ice God Slayer Magic.
For any American readers who may be confused as to why I called the bottom floor of the mansion the ground floor and not the first floor. In the UK, our ground floor is the floor level with the ground, whilst the first floor is the floor above the ground floor.
Also, if Bisca can summon the iconic Thompson sub-machine gun with her Requip, why can't Quentin do the same with the RPG-7?