Chapter 87
From The Depths
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Magic"
Flashback you
Location / Date / Time Skip
Natsu stared at the masked man, who merely stared back. "Repent, for your end is nigh." He told Natsu.
"For what? I haven't done anything bad." He replied as he dropped into a fighting stance. "Guess I have no choice. I'll defeat you to get out."
The man reached up and gripped his scythes before swinging the blades. Natsu jumped back and ducked before rolling to the slice, letting the executioner slice through a stone pillar. "This guy..."
"I only aim for the sinners head." The masked man said.
"Damn, you're creepy." Natsu mumbled.
"Bloosh!" Neppa shouted as he sent a wave of acid at the cat man, forcing Pantherlily to block as he carried Rose in his free arm.
'Damn it, I can't fight and protect Rose at same time.' He thought to hinself.
"Melt... melt and die..." The fat killer mumbled.
"Paper Storm: Green Dance!" Kamika chanted before throwing a single piece of green paper. It instantly multiplied into a swarm of paper. "Green paper is the god of poison." She chuckled as the paper turned to mist.
Laki covered her mouth and held her breath as best she could. "These people... really are trying to kill us..."
"Spore Bomb: Rinka Renka!" Giant plants rose up and started spitting out giant pink spore balls. They floated up to Wendy and they burst, blasting her back. "Even your screams are pretty... Now, time to sleep."
"Makura Kamura." Purple spores shot up and started emitting a matching powder. "Once you've fallen asleep due to these spores, you'll never wake up again. Sleep forever." Wendy pushed against the swarm but her strength faded as her eyes started closing.
"Terrain Effect Magic: Lava Range!" Uosuke waved his arms and the ground under the group started shaking before its split opened, molten rock destroying the ground. Happy and Carla took to the sky, only to get caught by Uosuke's magic. Lucy and Yukino hung on for their lives.
A rock fell off the rock wall and instantly melted down. "Just fall and die already." Uosuke demanded of the two girls. "Otherwise, you'll make me mad."
Sweat started dropping off the two girls as Arcadios crawled forward. "You two..." He groaned out as their shoes started smoking. "Be strong. You two are my hope..." He declared as he stood up. "Eclipse cannot be activated without you. And for that..." He jumped straight into the molten rock, shocking the Celestial Mages. "I am ready to sacrifice my life!" He declared as he marched forward.
"What are you doing!?" Lucy asked in horror.
"A human stepped into the lava?" Uosuke asked in surprise.
Arcadios reached the two girls and pushed them up by their boots. They quickly went over the ledge and turned, ready to pull him ups. "If you... manage to get out of here... meet the princess..."
"Colonel Arcadios, take my hand!" Yukino shouted, only to find the man's arms had given out.
"You can decide... whether Eclipse is right or not..." He groaned out as he fell into the molten liquid.
"Arcadios!" Yukino called out.
"That's what happens when you do something stupid like this." Uosuke declared as the others hung their heads.
.
.
.
.
"By a hair's breath, but his body is a bit of a problem for me." A voice said from the lava. The liquid bubbled up and Horologium rose up, Arcadios firmly in his chest.
"Horologium!?" Lucy asked in surprise. "Why are you here?"
"Because I can pass freely through the gate." Footsteps walked forward as Loke appeared, holding Lucy's pouch in his hand. "The stars are on your side again. "Sorry for taking so long. Here."
He tossed Yukino her two keys and she hugged them to her chest. "The twelve keys are together, it's time for a counter attack." He chuckled as he cracked his knuckles. "Let's show this clown what we can do."
"He's still breathing." Happy declared from Arcadios' side.
"It's time for a counterattack." Yukino declared as she held up a golden key. "Open, Gats of the Twin Fish - Pisces!" Two pillars of light erupted behind her, spiraling as their form changed. "Don your true form; a mother and her child."
Two figures took form and the light died, showing off a dark skinned boy holding a spear and a light skinned woman, both donned in fish scale armor. "If we've been summoned in this form, mother..." The boy started.
"Then we have an enemy to exterminate." The woman finished.
"As usual, she is beautiful." Loke said, eyeing the woman. "I can hardly believe she has a son."
"Let's go!" The boy declared as he and his mother charged forward.
"Terrain Effect: Gravity Range!" Uosuke declared as he held out his hands.
"Open, Gate of the Balance - Libra!" Yukino held out her second gold key and her other spirit appeared.
"Gravity Change, Counter-Balance!" The spirit declared as she swung her scales. The mother and son charged undeterred and attack, forcing the executioner back.
"Damn it." The fisherman growled before holding up his hands. "Terrain Effect: Whirlpool Range!" A massive spiral of water rose up and caught everyone in it's pull.
"Mom, this is bad!" The son shouted.
"Hold on, son." The mother declared before both were transformed back into their fish forms.
"How'd he know that it would happen?" Yukino asked in shock.
"I think he just guessed." Lucy replied. "But now that there's water..." She reached onto her hip and pulled out her strongest key. "Open, Gate of the Water Bearer - Aquarius!" The mermaid appeared next to the blonde, an angry look on her face.
Pantherlily still clutched Rose as he jumped back from another wave of acid. "What happened to all that confidence?" Neeba smugly asked. "Can't fight with your girlfriend in your arms?"
Both gained a small blush before Rose popped out of the larger cats arms. "Forget about me! Fight him with everything you got!"
The black cat nodded and focused. "Remember your training with Gajeel..." He mumbled. "All the blows from fists of steel. My resistance of both body and mind is steel-like!" He swung his sword and carved a way through the acid before charging the fat killer. "My spirit won't lose against anything!"
"So tell me, have you finally fallen into your eternal rest?" Cosmos asked, only to be shocked by the standing Wendy.
"Purge thy toxins from my body, so I might fight again." Wendy mumbled as she glowed in a green aura. "Re-Raise." Cosmos stared in shock as wind started picking up. "Magical conditions don't work on me. My job is to support everyone. But when I have to fight, I become a Sky Dragon Slayer!"
Kamika chuckled as the poison mist spread around her opponent. "You look in pain. Why don't you just die?" She teased Laki.
"You know... I bet you saw my match on day one." She asked. "You think that was whole strength... but Raven Tail screwed me. You don't know my true power... You picked the wrong element to use on me." Laki chuckled as purple veins covered her face, the poison mist flying into her mouth.
"You, you eat poison as well!?" Kamika asked in shock as Laki walks forward, cracking her knuckles.
Natsu slammed his fist into the back of the scythe users head, sending him sliding back. "What is with this man?" He asked before jumping back from another fist. "Do you not understand what you're doing, going against the kingdom!?"
"It's you who should think twice about going against Fairy Tail!" Natsu shouted before slamming his fist into the man's gut. "To protect our guild, we're ready to go against the entire world! That's what it means to be Fairy Tail!"
The scythe user crashed through the wall as at the same time the other four executioners did the same. The scythe user groaned as he looked around, finding his soldiers were beaten as well. "That's... not possible..."
"Now, tell us how to find the exit." Natsu demanded, cracking his knuckles.
Hisui's Chamber
"Princess! It's terrible!" One guard shouted as he raced forward. "I was just informed that the Garou Knights have been defeated!"
Hisui hung her head, hiding a small smile on her face. "You should not make that face." She snapped her back and saw Darton walking towards her. "It's obvious what you're thinking."
"Weren't you supposed to be at Domus Flau with my father?" She asked.
"I came back because I had a bad feeling, but apparently I was right." The Defense Minister replied.
"What do you mean?" The princess asked. "Why did you even send Arcadios to Hell Palace without a proper trial?"
"And you used Fairy Tail to rescue him, didn't you, princess?" He asked back, silencing her. "You were the one behind the Eclipse Project. Arcadios acted as the villain in front of me to conceal the person actually responsible, which is you."
"...So you know that much." She sighed back
"Princess, you should reconsider." Darton begged. "That thing is dangerous, the world's history must not be changed!"
"No, the world needs to be changed." Hisui replied, confusing the minister. "I actually... promised that person that I wouldn't tell anyone. But maybe I should tell you about the Eclipse 2 Project."
"Eclipse 2!?" Darton repeated.
"The true Eclipse project." The princess explained as she looked out the window. "If this project fails, tomorrow the entire country will be destroyed.
Domus Flau
Everyone in the Fairy Tail cheered as Fairy Tail took the top spot once again. "We are gonna take the number one spot!" Jet declared.
"If my calculations are correct..." Mavis mumbled as she watched the screen. "Juvia and Chelia will fight next."
The God Slayer jumped up from behind and unleashed a cloud of black wind, forcing Juvia to jump back. 'As that First predicted.' The Water mage thought as she slid to a stop, staring at Chelia who landed on a roof.
"You're the girl Lyon likes!" Chelia declared, stunning Juvia enough to prepare another attack. "Then vanish!" The attack flew forward and forced Juvia back across the bridge.
"Can Juvia beat her?" Romeo asked.
"It's good enough to keep her at bay." Mavis replied as a smile crept onto her face. "In the meantime, Erza will fight against Minerva."
"What's with the smug face?" Max asked.
"That woman from Sabertooth!?" Elfman asked.
In the city, Erza walked forward into a small park. 'According to the First, if I come here I should meet Saber's...' A rush of footsteps caught her attention and she turned to see a strike coming from Kagura.
"IT'S KAGURA!" Chapati declared as the crowd cheered while Mavis stared in shock.
'The first's prediction was wrong!?' Erza asked as she summoned two swords and blocked the attack. The two began trading swings as they stared dead into each other's eyes. 'She's strong.'
'Show me whether you're really as strong a fighter as the rumors say, Titania.'
Mavis was shaking in shock as she stared at the screen. "I... I was... where did I..." Tears started forming her eyes as she watched in horror.
The crowd cheered the fight as the two pushed against each other's blades, when a sudden strange orb appeared in front of them. Two white glove clad hands reached and grabbed both their faces. Minerva appeared with a smug grin before she twisted her body and threw them to the side. The two slid back and came to a stop as the tanned girl landed in the ground. "Can I join in?"
"Minerva has burst into the fight!" Chapati shouted as the crowd roared to life. "It just turned into a three-way struggle! A fight between the foremost female wizards in this competition! Just who will survive this epic fight!?"
All three stared women stared at each other, determination in their eyes. "No matter who I am up against, I will win." Erza declared as Kagura merely glared at the red head.
"My guild's image is tarnished." Minerva chuckled. "These last few matches have been problematic. I have an opportunity for redemption. Your guilds have done the most damage, Fairy Tail and Mermaid Heel. It's up to me to reclaim Sabertooth's rightful place on top. Eliminating the two of you at the same time will make that abundantly clear."
The Spatial Mage started glowing in a dark purple aura as Erza gripped her blades tighter. "How ambitious of you." She said as she started to glow in a red aura.
"Enough talk. Now we fight!" Kagura declared as she glowed in a blue aura. All three stopped glowing and charged at each other, an attack meeting in the middle of them all, creating an explosion. All three began trading swings and attacks as Erza knocked Kagura through the stone. The Mermaid Ace countered and hit Erza, sending the red head crashing to the ground.
She looked up in time to see Minerva blast her with an attack. Erza jumped up from behind, catching Minerva's attention. "Victory is-" Kagura's sheathe to the gut cut her off, sending her tumbling back. On her back, Minerva held her hands up and chanted. "I Ragudo."
Strange orbs suddenly surronded Kagura and Erza, lifting them off the ground. Standing up, Minerva started waving her hands around, chanting something. "Neer Wirg Mon Derus Elcantias!"
"It can't be..." Mavis mumbled in fear. "The Eighteen Hell Gods of Yagima... who would force someone to learn a spell as dangerous as that!?"
"Yagdo Rigora!" A massive figure emerged from behind Minerva and slammed into the two, creating a massive explosion that echoed throughout the city. Everyone stared in shock of the destruction as the dust slowly settled. Erza and Kagura were scratched badly, but they were still standing.
"Seems like you two are tougher than I originally thought." Minerva confessed. "Engaging with the two of you has taught me many things. The amount of power you two have is impressive. Continuing like this will get none of us anywhere. So let's change the game."
She dropped her feather boa to the ground as another orb appeared next to her. The contents shocked both girls as Millianna came into view. "I found a stray kitten."
"What is the meaning of this!?" Erza growled out.
"This sphere she's in constantly drains her magic power." Minerva explained as Millianna winced in pain. "It's excruciating. Surrendering won't save her. I have something far more entertaining in mind. This is how I'm going to change the game." The two girls glared at Minerva, earning a smirk from the Space Wizard.
Hisui's Room
"Are you certain of this?" Darton asked with wide eyes. "If what you say is true, then we must act at once! That means calling of the Games this instant!"
"Not yet..." Hisui replied. "It's too soon. First, we must verify that this persons claims are accurate."
"We don't have that kind of time!" The Defense Minister snapped back. "We're putting the lives of everyone in the country at risk!"
"...This person claims to be from the future." Hisui explained. "They told me the outcome of the Games for this year. That a certain guild would win in a spectacular way that no one would imagine. So if this outcome does indeed happen, it is proof. I will believe everything they told me."
"You bet the future of our kingdom on the Grand Magic Games!?" Darton asked.
"I have a hard time believing it myself." The princess replied. "That is why we need to wait and make certain of their words."
"And then?" Darton asked.
"Then we trust them, and make plans to deal with what they said would come to pass." Hisui replied.
Hell's Palace
"I'm starting to think that guy lied to me." Natsu said as the group walked through the cave. "I should go back and beat him up again."
"I don't think that's gonna do anything." Laki chuckled before turning to the playboy. "Also, why are you down here, Loke?"
"My lady needed me, so here I am." The spirit chuckled as he carried Arcadios.
"Is Arcadios fine?" Yukino asked.
"Well, he's breathing." The spirit replied.
"That still doesn't explain how he was fine after walking through lava." Happy added.
"Maybe it's his jade talisman." Yukino suggested, pointing at his pendant. "He told me it was a extremely powerful protective device... Now that I think about it, the princess is Hisui, which means jade."
"Arcadios told us to meet the princess after we get out of here." Lucy added.
"He also said we should decide for ourselves of the Eclipse plan was right." Carla added.
"But the princess herself threw us down here!" Natsu shouted back. He tripped over a rock and stumbled forward, crashing into a large gate. The doors cracked open and Natsu fell onto his back, looking up to see a black cloaked figure standing before him. "Who are you?"
Tears started falling from the person's face as Natsu smelled the air. "What the-? It can't be."
"Natsu..." The person mumbled as they wiped tears from their eyes. "I'm sorry..."
"Wait, that voice." Mirajane mumbled.
"I don't understand..." Yukino added.
"Hey, it's okay." Lucy said as she walked over. "We're here for you now. You can-"
The person lifted her hood off and everyone stared in shock at who it was. "...Laki?" The others asked in shock as Laki stared at herself.
"I'm begging you..." The future Laki let out. "If you don't stop the princess... the whole kingdom is doomed."
And the Knights have fallen! If you're wondering why the fights seemed so different from the anime ones, it's quite simple. Those versions were all filler. And completely unnecessary I might add. All you needed to show was Lucy and Yukino getting their keys and then stick with Natsu. That's where the main fight was.
Anyway, that rant is done. Gotta be honest, when Minerva was first introduced, I hated her. But she gets so much better as the series goes on. Better than most of the cast, if I can say so. Don't agree with me? Let me know why and I will see ya next time.
Beta read by General Feng Xiang