Kai tried to follow Natsu and Happy's scents but they were all over the place, and were mixed with something foul. Also, bird-like. Weird.
Probably those Trinity Raven creeps. Not surprising that Natsu got tangled up with the enemy in like five seconds, just a little worrisome that he seemed to come out of nowhere. Kai picked up the pace a bit, one hand resting on the handle of his sword in case another were to try and sneak-attack him.
Magic flared around the Tower while something else still ebbed at his sense. A dull hum that made no real sound, only an ache in the back of his mind, wriggling beneath his skin.
"Is it fear?"
Kai stopped short, clutching his blade tighter but not drawing it out. Jellal's voice came from somewhere, but Kai either couldn't tell or couldn't see.
"Is it fear that ebbs at you, Kai? That wouldn't surprise me. Just like how you first arrived here you're all alone, looking for a friend. But you won't find Erza. Sho saw to that."
Sho? What had he done?
"Don't worry, she's not dead. I can't have her killed or disappearing on me before your big moment."
"Neither of us are going to help you activate the Tower."
Jellal laughed. His voice was stronger than before, but it was the same as Siegrain's nonetheless. Well, the same as Siegrain's if you dumped heaping tons of malice atop it.
"Then I suspect you'll just leave me be and let me rot here? No. You can't just leave well enough alone anymore. You have to kill me. And I'm right here waiting for it."
Dread seized Kai and his hands quaked at his side. The droll and dark hallway of the tower led Kai's imagination down infinite paths of facing Jellal, none of which ended in victory. All of them had him slumped on the ground defeated.
"Yes. You can feel it now. The gap in our abilities. That gap in even your abilities compared to Erza."
Erza.
Titania. The Scarlet Fairy. Where was she? Taken by Sho, hidden away, maybe on the brink of death?
Something in his chest tore away at him. He saw her, standing in her immaculate armor, standing against Jose, against all the foes they'd faced. A twinkle among the sea of stars in the world of magic. A woman, pure and simple. One Kai loved but could not be loved back by.
"Erza only saved you because of your power, to protect herself," Jellal said. "Because she knew she couldn't hide from me without the help of a Dragon Slayer!"
Kai wanted to break down to his knees, to fall and listen to Jellal's taunts. His legs wobbled. He closed his eyes to the darkness, but something burned at his side. On his left arm, where his guild mark was. Same as hers.
"You're Fairy Tail's other Dragon Slayer. You don't go on all the big quests, you need others to help you save the day. From this tower I can see everything. You always need help, always need someone with you. You're not just weak alone; you're pathetic. Come on, challenge me by yourself. I'll prove it."
Kai saw Erza's face when he told her he loved her. When he tried to bring it up, whenever they were near each other afterward. The look of rejection, and disappointment. Still, something burned in him. Kai clamped his hand over the guild mark, and opened his eyes, wide. Bits of frost twinkled around the hallway.
"I can't ever just face you alone, Jellal," Kai said. His hair stood up, his magic aura slowly wafting around him. "I'm never alone anymore. This tower taught me how to find friends even in the darkest hour. And though I can't see them, and they're not standing next to me, they are still with me in here!" He removed his hand from over his guild mark. "I'm a Fairy Tail wizard now, Jellal, and that means you never fight alone! When I face you, it's going to be with the wrath of the entire guild!"
"You have no chance."
"There's always a chance."
"And what will Erza think? Do you think this will win her over?"
A gut punch, but, Kai ignored it. "I don't need to win her over. I don't need anything but to see her smile and live another happy day, and she can't do that so long as you and this Tower stand! That's why I have to defeat you!"
Kai swung his arms out and unleashed his magic, shooting ice all down the hallway, completely freezing it and silencing the humming around him, as well as Jellal's voice. Kai sighed and a weight lifted off his chest.
He'd cast away Jellal. Kai gave himself a little grin before his senses went wild again. Now Gray was in the mix with Natsu, that probably wasn't too good. Kai raced off again.
As he climbed the tower he grew a little less hopeful he'd be able to find anyone. The Tower was so different than what he remembered, if only because the upper areas were unknown to him. They were newer, developed by the older slaves like Millianna. Kai cursed for them being left behind.
Sho's scent appeared on his radar. Kai stopped, trying to pinpoint it. He moved fast, but in no particular direction. He was just a level beneath Kai, too. They were so close to the top. Natsu and Gray's fight continued in another room above. Where were Juvia and Lucy? Hopefully Iggy was making out okay.
So much going on! Kai grit his teeth. Priorities.
Natsu and Gray, as well as Lucy and Juvia, were capable enough to take on this Trinity Raven crew, tough though they likely were as well. Iggy could help guide Millianna and Wally, and Kai would be shocked if Jellal sent hounds after them. That left himself and Erza.
Who Sho had apparently done something to. And Jellal didn't like that.
Kai burst forward, retracing his steps, sprinting through the halls, but there weren't any doorways for him to use to get to Sho. His heartbeat quickened. Sho's scent grew stronger, but Erza's was completely gone. How?
Another scent appeared near Sho. This one was engrossed in malevolence.
Kai dashed forward, making a quick turn that led toward a massive doorway, into a wide open room with a torii's lining a walkway that had no railing, and a steep drop off at the side.
A pale woman with pink hair and a katana, like Kai's, stood opposite Sho, her arms crossed, but a smile wide on her face.
"Sho, get out of the way!" Kai exclaimed.
The woman opened her eyes and smiled. Kai unsheathed his blade as she undid hers and swung. Kai landed and blocked the attacks that still knocked Sho back.
"Thank goodness," Kai muttered.
"A Fairy has come to play?" the woman asked.
"Kai, what are you doing?" Erza exclaimed, but, from where?
"Erza?" Kai asked, looking around.
Sho stepped up. "I have here, in my cards. I trapped her to keep her safe so Trinity Raven wouldn't find her. Guess that didn't really work."
"Let me out, Sho, I need to help Kai!"
"Sorry Erza, I can't let that happen," Kai said. He grimaced. "Sho, keep Erza away from Trinity Raven. When I beat this one, they'll all be done for. Then it's just Jellal, and we'll need all of Erza's strength for that fight."
"I'm trying to get out of here."
"There is no getting out of here as long as Jellal stands!" Kai exclaimed. He adjusted his stance while the woman chuckled. "Find somewhere to hide for now."
"Kai, you can't face her alone!" Erza exclaimed.
"I'm not alone, Erza," Kai said, and ripped free his shirt. The heavy weights laden within them sent it tumbling off the edge of the walkway and revealed his guild mark.
The woman tilted her head up.
"A fine specimen if it weren't my target," she said. "Alas, this is where the fairy's tale ends for you, Dragon Slayer. I am Ikaruga, the finest assassin in the world."
"I really need to stop fighting assassins," Kai said, and settled into his most comfortable stance, and also coated his blade with ice. "At this point I'm more of an Assassin Slayer than a Dragon Slayer."
"Then your title ends here!" Ikaruga exclaimed.
Kai shot forward, a trail of ice behind his sword. He stopped short and swung the blade up. Ikarua cut through the ice with her own sword, easily slicing through the magic itself, and then attacked again with incredible speed. Kai barely dodged; the blade still scored a strike on his arm across his guild mark. Kai balled a hand full of ice and shot it at Ikaruga, who gracefully dodged it.
Kai swung out with his sword, an attack that was easily blocked by Ikaruga, who sped away, reappearing behind him.
"Frozen Sword Formation: Frozen First Layer!"
Kai spun around and swung his sword to create the magic circle that was shattered by Ikaruga. Kai grimaced and she sliced forward again. Kai also dodged that but couldn't avoid the knee to his gut. He blocked her elbow and subsequent sword strike to skid back a bit.
"My blade cuts through all forms of magic," Ikaruga said. "You will have to defeat me duelist to duelist. No magic."
Kai sighed and nodded. Even the ice on his sword had drifted away. Had Ikaruga cut so fine a layer, and with such precision?
Ikaruga flicked her blade in disappointment. Kai lowered into a new stance.
They struck, sprinting at one another and colliding swords. Sparks flew from the blows. Kai blocked the next attack and the two after that, but only just barely. Ikarua moved with incredible speed and precision, each strike easily would've killed anyone with slightly worse instincts than Kai.
He elbowed her in the face, blood bursting from her nose, then punched her square in the chest and tried to kick her but she blocked with her elbow and almost stabbed him clean through the chest if he didn't get his sword up in time to deflect the attack. They spun about one another. Kai cut through the ground and ripped ice up. Ikargua cut through that just fine, but
"Ice Dragon Roar!"
The next attack was cut down by Ikaruga but the force of it knocked her back.
Still, though, her blade lanced through the sky and cut Kai across the side. Ikarua rebounded off one of the torii and punched him across the face, then snagged her blade from off the ground and twirled around, cutting him thinly across the back. Kai managed to get his bearings just fast enough to avoid her spell,
"Garuda Flame!"
A scorching blade, and an inferno following it, almost cleaved Kai in two. He slid back, feeling cold blood slide down his back and side. He almost dropped his blade but held it tight in his hand.
"What was that about being an Assassin Slayer?" Ikaruga asked.
Kai sighed. He glanced beyond Ikaruga. Sho was out of the room. Good. She didn't seem bothered by it, and retained her smirk, though it was marred by the blood staining her face.
"Pick up your sword and try one last time," Ikaruga said. "It won't be enough."
"It isn't enough!"
Erza?
No. Only a memory of her voice, from long ago, when they were old enough to take jobs. When she—
Kai glanced down at the blade. When she'd given him the sword.
"My magic clearly isn't enough because I can't fully use it," Kai had said, sitting rather frumpy on a tree-stump while a giant monster lay next to them. A few twinges of ice but several powerful blows from Erza's attacks riddled its body.
Erza smiled at Kai. His heart stopped. He'd never noticed it when they were kids, but, she was absolutely stunning. She held her hand out and her sword vanished but, like always, her armor stayed. Iggy floated around both of them.
"Your magic is amazing, Kai, one day you'll control it."
"How the heck am I supposed to help you on a job if I can't even use it, though?" Kai opened his hand but dare not even use his magic.
Erza pursed her lips and sat next to him.
"You have so many different ways of fighting, Erza," Kai said. "You're strong—"
"So are you. I've seen both Natsu and Gray punch you in the face and you were fine."
Kai shrugged. "But you have so many weapons. Spears, lances, swords, hammers. Real magic on top of all of that!"
Erza laughed. "So that's it, you think all you need is a weapon and you'll be able to help more!"
"Maybe?" Kai wondered. But maybe that wouldn't be enough. The gap in their power was immense anyway. All Kai ever did was freeze someone in place with the spell he barely knew how to control. With a weapon he would be categorically more effective, but, there was no real way to prove that, was there?
She stood and held her hand out to him. He took it and his heart fluttered. Kai blushed and hid his face from her.
Erza held her other hand out and a katana appeared. Instead of the usual red-and-yellow hilt, this one was blue and white.
"Here," she said. "This is your sword."
Kai grasped it. Erza sealed her hand over it and it glowed, then, lost just a little ethereal aura around it.
"Normally my weapons go away at my command, but, I've made sure this one will stay out in this world forever," Erza said. "So you can always have it. We'll need to teach you how to use it, of course, but—"
"You're serious? You don't need it?"
"Kai, you're worth a million swords and then some. You're strong, and powerful, and you just need to work on it. We'll get there together."
Erza summoned one of her own swords and clanged it against Kai's.
"Together."
"So?"
Ikaruga's voice echoed in Kai, who swung the sword out and rolled his shoulders back, then fell into a proper stance.
"So you really think it won't be enough?" Kai asked. "How's about you come and find out, Ikaruga? Or have you finally met someone you can't assassinate?"
Ikaruga scowled and Kai sprouted a grin.
She dashed at him, moving with that same incredible speed, and already had her sword moving halfway. Kai blocked it and leaned into the attack, moving for a second attack that she parried but Kai's fist still landed in her gut. Ikaruga tried to slip away with her sword but Kai blocked it again and grabbed her forearm, then slammed his head into her own.
Ikaruga stumbled back. Kai punched her clean across the face and she flew back, tumbling on the ground before picking herself back up.
"Bastard," she muttered.
"I prefer Kai."
She sprinted at him, her Garuda Flame spell exploding around her sword. Kai flicked his sword and the casing of ice appeared around it.
"Frozen Sword Formation: Tundra Third Layer!"
The three magic circles appeared and Ikargua cut through all of them but it slowed her fall enough for Kai to kick her away and give fast pursuit. Ikaruga contorted herself in the air to block one of his attacks before she landed and Kai leapt over her this time, through the sword in the ground while the magic still radiated off the blade.
Ikaruga howled a laugh and sprinted at Kai, who slammed both of his hands together.
"Frozen Sword Formation: Sheer Cold Second Layer!"
Ikaruga plunged the sword at him. Kai stepped forward, glancing a slight blow at his side, before he caught Ikaruga in the chest with his hand, using all of his strength to stop her from moving, as the blast of magic slammed her from behind.
Magic exploded around them. Kai's armed snapped back and Ikaruga slammed into the wall, dropping back onto the walkway. Kai held his hand out and summoned his sword back to him. He flicked the ice off of it and approached the motionless Ikaruga.
"Don't get up," Kai said. "I wouldn't want to embarrass another assassin."
She complied, though definitely not of her own volition.
That Kai noticed, there was but one path left remaining up the tower. Maybe there were more on the outside.
Natsu's scent mixed with Simon, and Gray was headed back downstairs toward the others with Happy in tow.
Kai drudged up the stone steps, tapping each passing step with his own blade. Natsu would join him, no doubt, but the outside of the tower was a more circuitous route. Kai had a straight shot.
The hallways became more ornate the closer he approached Jellal's base. Jellal's scent, a familiar but now much darker one, also grew.
Pressure mounted around Kai, all emanating from a single source. It was Jellal's magic power. Kai grimaced. Another Wizard Saint he had to face by himself.
No. Not alone.
Natsu would come. Erza would come. Two of Fairy Tail's most powerful wizards could back him up. They had their own business with Jellal, same as Kai.
Kai was just lucky enough to get there first.
He approached a set of massive double doors that opened upon his arrival, allowing him entry into a room with a massive lacrima in the middle of it. Kai didn't spare it a second glance as someone approached him. A man that bore a striking resemblance to Siegrain but wore a dark blue cloak and had a vicious smile on his face. The same smile Kai saw when they were kids.
"You made it," Jellal said. "The surprise piece of the board."
"Did you really ever doubt?"
"I hoped Trinity Raven wouldn't be enough to stop you or Erza," Jellal said. "Suppose I really should have just let Sho go after her this whole time. A bit disappointing that they couldn't even stand up for themselves, though, should I truly be so surprised? They were always so weak."
"Enough," Kai said, and raised his sword to Jellal. "It's all about to end, Jellal. The Tower. Your goals. Everything you want to do is about to come crashing down."
"I've watched your progress from afar, Kai, but now you have me curious. Show me what an Ice Dragon Slayer can do against a Wizard Saint."
Kai's magical aura exploded around him. Jellal flung his cloak away and beckoned Kai make the first move. Kai happily obliged.