I really didn't know how I didn't link the events of Akane Beach and the Tower of Heaven together.
On second thought, it's not like I could be of any great help even if I'm there. I'm still too weak as a mage. I lack both experience and power. I am already a lot more powerful since my first full transformation, but it is still lacking. There is also no shortcut to gaining experience.
It was when Team Natsu got back from Akane Beach that we found out about the Tower of Heaven and I remembered about it. It was also in this period of time that Gajeel and Juvia joins Fairy Tail as well. Time really passes by faster than I could comprehend. It will not take long before any foreknowledge I still remembered about this world will be swiftly rendered useless.
It scares me a little, but at the same time I felt relieved. At least I no longer will need to carry this burden on my shoulders and truly live in this world like any other normal person.
The next event, if I remembered correctly, is the Fantasia Parade. The Battle of Fairy Tail. Again, I have no idea what use I can be at this point of time. The Thunder God Tribe is way out of my league. I remembered that even my brother was defeated by Evergreen and he is way stronger and more experienced than me. If even he doesn't stand a chance, what help could I give?
That feeling of hopelessness and helplessness really stung a lot.
The only thing that made me feel a sense of relief was that my foreknowledge allows me to know that everything will turn out fine. Laxus will be excommunicated and I don't know if I would ever see him again, but at least nobody died or anything. Laxus is incredibly strong even for S Class mages. His strength is nothing to joke about.
What I'm concerned about is my sister.
In canon, Elfman nearly dying by Freed's hands is what triggered her to reawaken her magic. Thus, I'm now stuck in a dilemma. If I let things pan out as in canon, Mira might awaken her magic like how it is supposed to be but at the same time, there is a chance that things will not go strictly as to how it happened and Elfman might really die by Freed's hands. This is something I don't want to see and I will never allow it to happen. Mira might not awaken her magic if such a thing did not happen in front of her but compared to Elfman's life, I think I know the decision I'm going to make.
So, the only thing I could do as a helpless child (and damn it I really hate being a weak and useless child all the damn time) is to make sure that my two older siblings get out of this alive and hopefully, if things do go my way, Mira would still get her magic back. Call it a sixth sense, but I have a feeling that she might need it in the future.
All of this is so difficult. I really hate being burdened with such foreknowledge at times. If only I could do better, Lisanna might not-
I need to stop right there before I start to mope around and caused my older siblings to be worried about me again.
"Is it going to be fun? Are you going to be in it?"
"Uh, yeah." I replied to Wendy as we had another one of our nightly conversations held through communication lacrima. "It's something we do every year."
"Then I'm coming over to watch! So will Carla!"
What? That definitely changes a few things. Not only that, things might get very dangerous for her! She's not a combat mage!
Still… Wendy might be a great help considering what she can do. I do remember Master Makarov's heart giving out at the worst of times during this arc in canon. Wendy can definitely help in this regard if that really happened.
I guess all I have to do is to protect her if she really needs it. Even without my protection, she's strong. She should be alright.
"In that case, I'll be waiting for you to come over to Magnolia." I replied with a smile. "My house does have a spare room that you and Carla can temporarily stay in."
"Really? Yay! A sleepover! I never had one before!"
"I'm warning you. Mira-nee and Elf-nii will definitely tease us like no tomorrow. You better prepare yourself for it."
"E-Eh? Mou~ Again?"
"You know what they are like." I sighed. "Problems of being the youngest in the family."
Wendy giggled a little at the remark.
"At least you have a family. I'm kinda jealous of that." She said with a slight sigh before brightening up once more.
"I heard your guild now has another Dragon Slayer?"
"His name is Gajeel Redfox, previously of Phantom Lord. Iron Dragon Slayer."
"Oh, yes! That one! I had heard about him!" Wendy clapped her hands together in excitement. "How's he?"
"Not very pleasant and not very sociable." I admitted. "I suggest you don't get your hopes up. Even in Fairy Tail, there are people who still hold a grudge for what he did in our war with Phantom Lord. Many people are not happy with Master's decision to accept him in. They only held their tongue in front of him out of respect for the Master."
"And you?"
"Neutral, I guess." I shrugged. "But that's probably because he didn't do anything that warranted any hate from me. It would be a totally different story if he had hurt Mira-nee or Elf-nii in the war."
"You know, after the Fantasia Parade you should totally come over to Cait Shelter for a visit!" Wendy offered excitedly. "I want to show you what my guild does! It will be fun!"
"That… does sound nice." I admitted. "I could take a few jobs that will be in the area near to where your guild is and we can do it together. Just like always."
"Uh huh! It will be fun! I can take you exploring the forests around the guild! There are so many places to play over there! I can show you where Carla and I used to play all the time!"
Our conversations carried on into the night, with Wendy talking excitedly about the things we could do together if I visit and stay over at Cait Shelter for a short while.
It's during normal times like these that I truly felt like I'm just another ordinary person living an ordinary life like any other. Like a true resident of this world.
I never told her, but I'm extremely thankful to Wendy for that.
"So everyone will be on the parade float? Wah! That sounds so fun! And oh, oh, what will the rest be doing? Huh, dance? What does the dance look like? Creating things with magic?! I wish I can do something like that too!"
Gajeel Redfox narrowed his eyes from where he perched himself on the second floor. Another Dragon Slayer had somehow popped up from out of nowhere while he was taking a damn nap in a corner of the guild building. This time, instead of a fiery idiot like Salamander, it is a little girl.
His eyes narrowed further when he spotted the girl's feline companion. The gears in his brain started to turn.
Salamander, blue cat. Little girl, white cat.
He, no cat.
Fuck. Why does he not have a cat?
That settles it. He is so going to find himself a cat somewhere. A cat that can easily beat all the other cats of the other Dragon Slayers. The strongest cat in the world!
From what the Salamander told him after their destructive battle in the guild war between his former guild and Fairy Tail, the little girl's dragon is like theirs. Disappeared on the same date and year without a goddamn trace. This is starting to smell really fishy but it's not like there is anything for them to follow up on.
Damn Metalicana.
The little girl happily skipped along as the women in Fairy Tail happily showed her around the new guild, including the costumes for the upcoming Fantasia Parade and those stupid parade floats. He had heard from someone somewhere that the little boy named Rey is her boyfriend or some bullshit like that. He doesn't really care about gossip so he didn't bother to ask further.
What he really wants to know is how strong the little boy really is. A mage's capabilities are not limited to their age. If you are strong, you are strong. The boy had single handedly destroyed a large part of Phantom's guild building in the war despite his age. Granted, his fight with the stupid Salmander brought down whatever was left standing, but the fact that the boy can do what he did already tells him a lot about his potential.
He let a small fanged grin appear on his face. Fairy Tail really is made up of interesting people.
Satisfied with what he sees, he turned around to leave the guild building, several job requests in hand. Not a lot of people like to see him around considering what he did and they still hold a damn grudge, but whatever. Like he cares. He will just get out of their sight until the negative sentiments die down.
Meanwhile, he should also really start to look for a damn cat as his partner. He will have the strongest cat among the Dragon Slayers damn it! Why the hell is he the only one with no cat?!
The Battle of Fairy Tail really happened. Furthermore, it started out like what I remembered it to be. My sister got turned into stone along with several other female mages of the guild. I'm not worried about them because I know what will happen. The protection offered by Erza's artificial eye will kick in soon enough. We just have to wait until then. I have faith in Erza's abilities to bring them all back.
I also thank the stars that I have enough foresight to use my body to block the Thunder God Tribe's vision of Wendy when they made their sudden appearance. They seemed like they only just got back and hence didn't know about Wendy being here in Magnolia. It helps that Wendy had automatically hidden herself behind me the moment they appeared. She's still a little scared of them even after having seen them once before.
"They are gone." I whispered to Wendy the moment the entire guild rushed out in their mad rush to defeat the Thunder God Tribe. "Do you think you can undo the petrification?"
"U-Uh… I can try!"
"That's right!" Master Makarov visibly perked up after hearing my words. "Maybe Wendy could do something about the petrification!"
"Cool!" Natsu yelled. "Then we go beat Laxus into a pulp!"
"Did you forget that Freed's runes somehow don't let you leave?" I reminded him dryly. "Are you secretly over 80 years old?"
"Uh, maybe? Who knows?"
"I-I think there's a reaction from Erza-san!" Wendy exclaimed in excitement as she placed her hands on Erza and she let her magic run its course. "There's a chance that I can reverse the petrification done on her!"
"And if Erza's back into action, we can win! Oh yeah!" Natsu cheered out loud as he breathed fire into the air. "Now I'm all fired up!"
"Chill a little, will you?" I rolled my eyes at Natsu's antics. "Defeating Laxus is not going to be easy. You know how strong he is."
"That's why all the more I want to defeat him!"
"He's hopeless." Carla summarised our thoughts with a single statement. "He just loves to fight a little too much."
A shine of bright light caught our attention as right before our very eyes, the Queen of Fairies was brought out of her petrification state.
"E-Erza-san! How do you feel? Any discomfort?"
"Wendy?" Erza blinked in bafflement as she looked around before looking back at Wendy with a smile. "I feel fine, thanks for asking."
"Erza! Right now-"
"I know. I heard everything." Erza said with a smirk as she requipped into her usual armour. "Leave Evergreen to me. I will get the girls back. That is, if Wendy didn't beat me to the punch."
"I-I'll try my best to get the rest out of their petrification too!"
"That is for the best." Master Makarov nodded in agreement. Our attention was drawn to the beep of Freed's Jutsu Shiki as the number of participants left updated itself.
"Wait, five? Who else do we have?!"
"You guys forget that we have one more contender of Fairy Tail's strongest." Erza shook her head a little in amusement as she slowly made her way out. "Hint, he's rarely in the guild."
"Mystogan. I see." I nodded my head in realisation. "He sure has great timing."
"Rey, you stay here with Wendy." Erza gave me my instructions before she left for real. "There's no way you can beat any of the Thunder God Tribe on your own. Just look after the ladies and Master. Can I trust you to do that?"
"Yeah." I replied Erza with a smile. "Beat them all up, Erza."
Erza replied with a smile of her own.
"Got it."
"I smell him. This way."
Erza upheld her promise and defeated Evergreen, undoing the petrification on the rest of the girls in the process. Mira was worried about Elfman and there's no way I will let her walk out there into the warzone alone, so I accompanied her. Wendy wanted to follow us but similar to how the Jutsu Shiki applied to Natsu and Gajeel, she somehow couldn't make it out. So, she's stuck there with Carla keeping her company until Levy finds a way to take down Freed's runes.
I really don't know if I should be hoping that we bump into Freed.
"There!"
My nose finally picked out a definite scent as we both ran up to Elfman. He's lying prone on the ground, barely able to move.
"Elf-nii!"
"R-Rey? Nee-san?"
"Don't move. You are in really bad shape." I muttered as I tried to lift him up. Got to thank the physical strength augmentation my Inner Beast grants me. "Mira-nee's alright now. You can rest. Mira-n- Mira-nee? Are you okay? H-Hey! Why are you crying?!"
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…" My sister kept sobbing uncontrollably as Elfman and I looked on in confusion. "Back when Phantom attacked… And now… I couldn't do anything…"
"The only thing you have to do when this is over is to greet everyone with a smile." Elfman said weakly as he gave his own smile to cheer our sister up. "Nee-san, please stop. You shouldn't have to cry."
"Yeah, don't cry." I said as I tried to dab away her tears. "You have always protected us. Let us do the protecting this time. We are the men in the house. Right, Elf-nii?"
"That's right- Ow!"
"I told you not to move." I grumbled as the three of us slowly moved out of the area. Mira had laughed a little through the sobs upon hearing Elfman's comical cry of pain, so she should be feeling better. I think.
"Hold on." I froze. Partly in fear and partly in dread when I recognised just whose scent I caught.
No damn way. I made sure to take a different route too, a route that I think is least likely to encounter Freed because after thinking through it, I decided that there's no way I am going to risk Elfman's life just for a small chance of my sister getting her magic back. How is it possible that we still encounter him?
"Rey?" Mira asked in concern.
"Freed. It's Freed. I think he's fighting Cana." I gritted out in frustration. "They are up ahead. I smell them."
"Then we should go and help them!" Elfman yelled out. "There's no-"
"There's no way you are going back into the battle." I stressed. "Look at your injuries! You seriously think you can take on Freed in this state?!"
"Rey's right." Mira supported my point with a slight frown on her face. "There's no way that you can continue fighting any longer, Elfman. As much as I hate to do this, none of us will be of help to Cana even if we join the battle. We have to leave and trust her to be able to take Freed down."
"But-"
"No buts." Mira cut Elfman off. "We will find another way to help Cana, just not now."
"R-Rey! Mira-san! Elfman-san!"
"Wendy?!" I cannot help but exclaim in worry when I see her running towards us. Why is she here too?!
"If Wendy can heal me back to normal, then I can fight, right?" Elfman turned to my older sister with a determined look on her face. "Freed is strong! I don't think Cana can take him on by herself!"
"Elf-"
"Please!"
I facepalmed. This is going to shit from the get-go.
"We saw Cana ahead!" Carla quickly shouted at us. "It's bad! I don't think Freed is showing any mercy!"
Shit. We all know about Freed's personality. To him, Laxus' word is law. At this point in the series he will really not hesitate to kill any of us for Laxus, that is Freed in a nutshell. If I let Elfman go and help Cana, he might die. Yes, my sister might or might not regain her magic from this but that's beside the point. The point is that Elfman might die. If I don't let Elfman help, then Cana might die. Freed won't show any mercy. I cannot rely on canonical luck when lives are at stake.
Fuck this.
"- that's why I should go! I'm the only man here who can possibly fight Freed, nee-san! Your magic-! You know what I'm talking about! Wendy's not a combatant and there's no way Rey is going to-"
"Oh yes I'm going to."
With a swift chop to Elfman's neck, I knocked him out like a light and gently placed him on the ground. I've decided. If there's anyone who is going to face the risk of death, let it be me. I've always been the one who is being protected all along. This time, I want to do the protecting.
I really don't want to lose anybody else because of my inability and weakness. Not after losing Lisanna.
"Rey?!"
"Take care of Elf-nii. He's in no condition to fight." I told my older sister as I sprouted my wings. "I will bail Cana out of there. Wendy, Carla, stay with Mira-nee. Don't join the fight no matter what happens."
"REY!"
Ignoring their cries for me to come back, I quickly dashed off to where I can smell Cana and Freed fighting it out.
Hopefully, my presence will not make everything worse.
Cana is really stronger than he thought.
Freed Justine looked down from where he was standing. Cana Alberona is still struggling to get up, the effects of his Jutsu Shiki making themselves known to her. There's no way she can win. He doesn't want to do this, but he has his orders.
He will kill her, because Laxus said so.
"FREED!"
A shout of his name got him to look up. It was just in time as he narrowly dodged a concentrated beam of magic fired at him from afar. Reydell Strauss flew in and put himself in front of Cana.
"Get out of my way, Rey. My business is with Cana." Freed steeled his heart as he spoke his words. Cana is one thing. He doesn't think that he can stomach killing a child, even if he knows he will do it if Laxus orders him to.
Cana apparently have the same thoughts as well.
"Rey! Get out of here! You are no match for Freed!"
"I know." Rey easily picked Cana up and put her aside out of harm's way. "But we don't have any fighters left and I cannot possibly stand aside and watch you get yourself killed by this creep."
"Don't worry about me! Just-"
"Just watch me." Rey said as he stretched his wings and took flight once more. "I'm no S Class mage, but I can fight pretty darn well too."
"Reydell Strauss, this is my last warning to you." Freed warned the child in front of him one last time. "Do not interfere. I won't show mercy, even if it is to a child like you."
"Then don't."
Rey cocked his fist back before letting loose a powerful punch, immediately firing off a gust of wind like he just fired an air cannon. The attack tore up the pavement with it and it would have gotten him too if it wasn't for him conjuring his wings in time to dodge the unexpected attack.
"GO DOWN!"
Freed felt his bones rattling as he used his sword to block Rey's next punch, who had somehow closed the gap in the blink of an eye through the ability of flight. Rey didn't let up as his punches rained down on him in quick succession, not giving Freed a chance to regather himself.
Is his aim to not give him a chance to use his Jutsu Shiki by making sure he doesn't have the time to write them? Smart move, but he had seen better mages than Rey use this tactic against him and fail.
"Dark Ecriture: Pain!"
Rey let out a scream of pain from the runes written on him but pressed on his assault nevertheless. It was then that Freed started to worry. He had seen this kind of mindless rage once before when Rey was stuck in a full transformation. There's no stopping him once he gets to that stage.
Before everything gets worse for him, he needs to stop Rey now.
Another powerful blast of magic was fired from Rey's arm cannons and it caught Freed in it, blasting him into a wall. There's another boom as Rey somehow launched himself by morphing thrusters on his legs and used the propulsion to ram him through the wall, causing Freed to cough up blood.
"JUST STAY DOWN ALREADY, FREED!"
"Dark Ecriture: Fear!"
His spell forced Rey to take a brief pause as he struggled with the new sensation of fear assaulting his body. Freed used this time to quickly write up a new attack.
"Dark Ecriture: Slay!"
A powerful slashing attack struck Rey as Freed swung his rapier. The boy went tumbling as blood spilled from his body and Freed mentally hoped that the boy would just stay down already. He made sure to not make that attack fatal but he might not have a choice if the boy chose to stand up again.
Laxus' orders will not go unheeded.
He was disappointed when the boy did the exact opposite of what he hoped for. Already, his wounds are visibly healing and closing up at a rapid rate with a hiss of steam.
"You know, I never got around to thank you and the Thunder God Tribe for bringing me back the last time."
Rey's voice had descended into a growl as he slowly stood back up shakily on his feet. His transformation had already covered more than just his limbs. Part of his torso is starting to transform as well. At this rate, he might really undergo a full transformation.
"However, before is before. Now is now. I know Laxus means the world to you but I will not allow you to kill any one of us in Fairy Tail, Freed. If there's anyone here in the guild that cannot be put down short of decapitation, it's me."
The boy took a step forward as his face contorted into a snarl, his teeth starting to turn into fangs.
"You want to kill so badly? Try killing me."
"Do you really have a death wish?!" Freed exclaimed. "I told you, I'm not showing any mercy!"
"Good thing then." Rey let out another growl as a feral grin spread across his face. "Then I won't hold back too. Laxus won't be around to save you from me this time, Freed. Against absolute power, your runes don't mean shit."
An explosion of noise was the only warning for Freed as he quickly dodged Rey's lariat. Rey is exceptional for his age and it is hard to put him down quietly due to the strength and enhanced healing factor of his magic. Rey's adaptability and tenacity is what makes him so fearsome, but that doesn't mean that there's no way around it.
"Dark Ecriture: Suffering!"
Rey roared out in pain once more as he was halted in his tracks from the attack to his nervous system. Freed quickly unleashed a volley of slashes at the boy but Rey's arms merely morphed thick scales on it that blocked every of his attack and rendered them useless.
Right. His ability to evolve.
Enormous scythes grew on Rey's arms as he used it to slash at him. Freed clicked his tongue in annoyance as he skilfully avoided Rey's slashes. It seems that if he doesn't get serious soon there's no way he can put Rey down. The boy is tenacious and so is his magic. The fact that his magic can gradually evolve to counter his own in a drawn out fight spells trouble too.
He doesn't want to do this but it seems that it is necessary. He will have to take Rey out in one big attack. A spell so powerful that he won't have the time to react and defend. A spell that will put Rey out of the count for sure without letting him a chance to recover and evolve.
Despite the side which he is fighting on, Freed can't help but let out a small smile. The boy had really grown since he last saw him. If only they are on the same side.
"Dark Ecriture: Darkness!"
The power of a demon rushed through his veins as Freed immediately used his next attack, intending to take Rey out for good.
"Darkness Flare Bomb!"
A bomb made of dark energy enveloped Rey entirely as the boy screamed in pain. This time, his scream made Freed feel phantom pains just by hearing it. Taking on one of his most destructive spells like that has to hurt. Even Laxus will be feeling it if he took it on directly like Rey did.
But his job is now done.
"I… will… stop you…"
To his shock, the boy was still standing when the attack died down. Even in his current mangled and bloodied state, his body is still healing and attempting to further evolve even if Rey is barely conscious at this point.
"Go ahead and kill them."
Laxus' words ring in his ears as Freed clenched his fists.
For Laxus. For the sake of his dream.
"Dark Ecriture: Death!"
His spell shot towards Rey like a bullet just when a feeling of undiluted fear crept up his spine.
"STAY AWAY FROM MY LITTLE BROTHER!"
A flare of darkness magic blew his spell away and before Freed could even react to the sudden change. A nasty right hook socked him in the jaw and catapulted him into the air.
Freed's eyes widened in shock upon recognising the newcomer who just joined in the fray.
"Touch Rey… and you die."
A sight everybody had thought they would never see again resurfaced. A she-demon with scaly arms and a thick tail hovered in front of Rey with those pitch black wings of hers. The demon's face is contorted in rage as the surroundings are being slowly grinded to dust with the outburst of the demon's immense magical powers.
Freed can only try his best to fight back the sensation of fear as he came to terms with the unexpected development of the situation.
The Demon of Fairy Tail has returned.