I do not own any of the original Fairy Tail characters.
Rescue Operation: Part 2
Sado munched on a drumstick, smiling. Inviting them in and setting up a feast in their honor. He was starting to like the boss. The food was even rich in magic energy, allowing them to replenish what they had lost. While they ate, Virgo changed Lucy out of her bikini and into a green dress with a green bandanna over her hair. Sado ignored her, and Natsu didn't even notice, but Gray stared, much to Juvia's dismay. After several minutes of everyone but Lucy chowing down, Sado finally stood, wiping his mouth and hands with his napkin then stretching and sighing contentedly.
"Alright," Sado smiled. "Let's get to work finding Erza and Happy so me and Natsu can burn this fucker down."
Just then, several guards rushed in. They all turned to fight just as Erza appeared, knocking them out with a pair of swords. Sado blinked twice before grinning. Erza stared at them in shock.
"It's you! What are you doing in the tower?" Erza demanded.
"Looking for you," Lucy said. "We came here to rescue you."
"We haven't met," Juvia began. "I'm Juvia and-"
"Go home!" Erza snapped. "This place is far too dangerous."
"Oh Erza," Sado sighed. "If the tower's that bad, I'll just burn it down."
"Burn it down?" Erza gaped. "You think it's that easy?"
"Why not?" Sado asked. "This place is half tree, right?"
He held his hands up, flame springing to life above them, rolling back on themselves into a massive fireball, steadily heating up, turning first blue, then white. Then, they shot straight upward, fanning out across the ceiling, a deafening roar filling the room. Sado held the stream for several seconds before ending it, staring at the perfectly intact ceiling. Not even a scorch mark left behind.
"That's not possible," Sado said.
"A valiant effort, but ultimately futile," a voice said over a loudspeaker. "If this place could be destroyed so easily, it wouldn't still be standing."
"Whose voice was that?" Sado asked.
"I don't know," Erza said. "I didn't recognize it. It doesn't matter. You have to leave now."
"No way," Natsu said. "Even if we can't destroy this tower, I'm not leaving until I've kicked that blockhead's ass and saved Happy."
"If Happy was taken it was Millianna," Erza said. "She's a cat lover. She'd never do anything to hurt him."
"I don't care," Natsu said. "I'm not leaving without Happy!" And with that, he was off, sprinting deeper into the tower.
Sado sighed, shaking his head. "Just face it Erza, we're coming with you."
He began to walk after Natsu, Erza staring at him incredulously.
"Stop!" Erza ordered.
"You can kick my ass for ignoring you later," Sado said. "For now, we're going to find a way to tear this tower apart. That should stop your nightmares, right?"
Erza's eyes widened as she stared at him. He turned, smiling back at her.
"We're your friends, Erza," Sado said. "If destroying this place will help you, then that's exactly what we're going to do. And don't worry about the guy in charge. I'll handle him personally."
And with that, he turned, walking around the corner and down the hallway, following Natsu's dust cloud. Soon, the dust faded and Sado sighed, slowing to a stop at a fork. To the right, there was simply an endless tunnel. To the left, another endless tunnel.
"Maybe I should go outside and fly up," Sado mused. "Fuck it. Right it is."
He turned, running down the right path. After a few minutes, he slowed to a stop as he reached a massive open area, similar to the one they had fought the guards in. This one, however, had cages and chains filling it, and a tunnel outside above. He grinned, flying out through the tunnel. As he rose, however, he spotted a flash off to one side. He sped up, and a moment later, a massive wall of muscle with an owl's head was streaking toward him from above. Sado flipped around him, kicking the massive jetpack the owl was wearing and sending him crashing into the tower. Sado stopped his ascent as he caught a voice from inside saying something about a game and an Etherion blast. He swore, looking up. He couldn't see the satellite square yet, but if he focused he could sense it. He turned back to the owl as it flew back up level with him.
"Who are you?"
The owl hooted at him, its head turning almost upside down. "I will not tolerate the breaking of rules." The owl pointed at him, its head righting itself. "Now prepare yourself to be punished in the name of justice!"
"Rules?" Sado blinked. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, you missed the announcement, didn't you?" the owl asked. "You're a part of the master of this tower's game. Heaven's Game. You must climb through the tower, defeat myself and my two allies, and then find a way to defeat Jellal. In doing so, you win the game and thwart Jellal's plan to revive Zeref."
"He wants to do what!?" Sado demanded. "Well, if I have to take you down to get to him, then let's get this over with!"
The owl hooted, shooting through the air, Sado matching his speed, the two beginning to trade punches and kicks, all the while the owl dodged blasts of flame from Sado. Finally, the owl caught Sado by the throat, smashing him against the side of the tower, dragging him along before hurling him back through the hole Sado had left, leaving Sado to crash down on a cage just before Natsu followed. Both began to stand as the tallest of the four that had attacked them at the casino ran in.
"Natsu, be careful with him," Sado said, watching the man. "He controls darkness."
"Got it," Natsu growled.
"No, wait! I'm not your enemy," the man said. "My name is Simon. I've been pretending to be on Jellal's side from the beginning in order to find a group of wizards strong enough to stop him."
"Why?" Sado asked.
"Because I'm the only one who always believed in Erza," Simon said, his one visible eye betraying his emotions to anyone who knew how to look.
"Oh, so that's how it is," Sado sighed. "In that case, welcome to the team."
"What?" Natsu gaped. "Just like that? What gives?"
"He's in love with Erza," Sado said, Simon staring up at him in shock.
"How did you..."
"You may be able to hide your face, but your eye speaks loudly enough that I couldn't miss it," Sado said, just as the owl landed behind him.
"Time to die!" the owl shouted.
Sado turned to him as the owl's thrusters lit up, only for Sado to appear in front of him, driving a fist into the owl's gut, blasting him into the wall. Then, Sado slammed his hands together.
"Fire Make Cannon!" Sado shouted, forming a bazooka in his hands. "Eat your heart out Gray."
He fired and a massive blast of white-hot flames shot out, exploding through the wall, leaving the charred remains of the owl lying folded backward over the bottom of the hole.
"Isn't that...a little excessive?" Simon asked.
"You piss off a fire wizard, you get burned," Sado shrugged. "Natsu, we've got a job to do."
"Right," Natsu nodded. "Should we take the sky, or the tunnels?"
Just then, Gray landed beside Simon and Sado glanced at him before turning back to Natsu.
"I'll fly, you take the tunnels," Sado said. "I'll keep Jellal busy. You come and back me up as soon as you can."
Natsu nodded and Sado turned, rocketing out of the tower, once again flying upward. He shot higher and higher, passing an area where he sensed Erza's power fighting someone. Then, he flipped, blasting his way through the dome at the top, landing in the center beside a massive jagged lacrima. In front of him, a man wearing blue pants, black boots, a dark blue cloak with the hood up, a white jacket, and a black shirt hummed thoughtfully, staring at him. He had blue hair and a red tattoo above and below his right eye, looking like some sort of tribal symbol. He began to clap, his gloves muffling the sound slightly.
"Not bad," he said, frowning. "You're quite the powerhouse, aren't you? Fairy Tail's Phoenix. Or, would you prefer I called you by your other moniker?"
"You may call me by my name," Sado snarled. "Yours is Jellal, right? I've heard of you. Twin brother of Siegrain, one of the Ten Wizard Saints who is currently on the Magic Council. You possess Heavenly Body magic, along with Darkness Magic, Telekinesis, and a few other things. Quite the dangerous individual. And since I can't tear this tower down until you're dead, that leaves my choices pretty limited. Shall we?"
Jellal stood, pulling his hood down before holding out his hand, a massive purple blob with red markings covering it forming above his hand. "Tell you what, I'll let you in on a little secret. You're not fighting a human. I've been granted the power of Lord Zeref's soul! This, is its power!"
He held his hand out, the blob breaking apart into a bunch of smaller ones, all flying at Sado like bullets. Sado snorted, flipping sideways as the blob blasted out the side of the tower.
"Typical," Sado snorted. "You can destroy it an I can't."
"Hold still!" Jellal said, turning and firing a beam of purple energy, which Sado crouched under then shot sideways. Jellal turned, firing another, but the Sado he hit burst into flames. "A Fire Clone?"
"Got you!" Sado shouted, swinging the massive ball of fire he had between his hands down at Jellal.
Jellal turned, grinning just as a massive sphere of the purple blob substance formed around Sado, blocking his spell. Sado snarled in rage, putting his hands together.
"Fire Make Sword!" He snarled, slashing the bubble several times, splitting it apart and leaping at Jellal, slashing at him again, only for him to backhand him, sending him flying into the wall.
As soon as he hit, Erza was there, charging at him with a katana, now wearing red and orange flame-themed pants and some bandages as a top. She attacked Jellal relentlessly, but Jellal was able to avoid everything. Then, he began to attack her with the same blobs and energy beams, Erza managing to avoid the attacks as well. Sado saw an opening and formed himself another sword, sprinting at Jellal and slashing, Jellal turning and leaping away, only for Erza to split his stomach open. He crashed to the ground as the tower began to shake. Sado felt his stomach drop.
"Etherion," Sado breathed.
"I apologize for not being able to save you back then," Erza said, now kneeling on the floor with Jellal, knowing she didn't need to kill him. "Can you forgive me?"
"Erza, you have saved me," Jellal said, hugging Erza, who hugged him back.
Sado sat down, feeling numb. He was going to die. He would never see Mira again. And he could never say goodbye. Tears began to roll down his cheeks. It wasn't fair. He had only wanted to have a family with her. He had wanted to be able to spend his life showering her with love. But why? Why would the universe not allow that to happen? Why did he have to be alone?
"It's not fair," Sado mumbled. "Mira."
He looked up at Jellal and Erza, the two of them hugging, and smiled slightly. At least Erza was able to save her friend in the end. He was seated behind Erza, so he wasn't sure if she was crying too, but he doubted it. Sado looked up as a blinding light began to shine above them, then back at Jellal. Something felt wrong. Suddenly, Jellal's eyes opened, his right hand clenching slightly. His eyes opened wide with a wicked glee as he grinned widely. Then, Sado's foot collided with his nose, and he flew backward, crashing into the wall.
"What the hell are you doing!?" Erza demanded.
"Ask me when the blast ends," Sado snarled.
Then, the blast reached the tower.
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