Natsu looks upon the stone statues of all 8 Lingyue's Celestial Guardian spirits as they all look to be fighting something before turning to stone. The salmon haired mage followed the sparkles that appeared after he took down Enra and finds out that the sparkles went to the stone statue of Enra himself.
"what is this?" said Natsu before he started coughing as the aura around his body started to dim. "damnit, not enough chi to cover my body for more than 5 minutes, huh?"
Natsu's clothes glow as he exchanged them for Celestial spirit clothes that he once wears when everyone in Mercurius were teleported to the Celestial Spirit world before. the man let out a long sigh as he soon turns to look at the statues.
"if they are here, that means this is the Southern Celestial Spirit World" said Natsu as he went near the large petrified statue of Draco and caresses its stone surface. "what had happened here?"
Before Natsu could check the whole area, he hears several explosions nearby. Natsu turns and sees at a planet sphere above that there was a battle occurring.
"I can get my answers there" said Natsu as he squatted down before high jumping straight to the planet.
Back at Fairy Tail, nearly most of the guild's members were back from their jobs as they are now accessing the whole attack that had just happened a few moments ago.
"Zodiac spirits attacked, another monkey spirit like Enra appear, and Natsu's gone to the Celestial Spirit world" said Makarov as he sat on the bar while looking in deep thought. "this is somehow connected in a way."
"the 12 zodiacs said something about freedom like Natsu said, and then Enra said the same thing too" said Erza while rubbing her chin. "what is this freedom that they are trying to achieve?"
"I believe I may know something about the freedom that Enra-dono is seeking" said Daichi, the members of the 8 generals are with him as Ayame with Mizuki had come back with Haruka and Haruo along with Mira and Elfman back from their jobs. "perhaps that the freedom is freedom from being in the ancient contract with Kaguya-sama in the past"
"how is that connected?" asked Gajeel to the monk.
"centuries ago, before people occupied Lingyue that wasn't split apart before. there were several species that reign supreme upon it" Gojin stated out while having his arms crossed. "Lingyue's 8 Celestial Guardian spirits were not spirits in the first place"
"now that you mention it" said Gray before looking at Lucy. "back at the dragon graveyard, Draco knew that green dragon and how he was a dragon before a spirit, right?"
"yeah, Draco said that Kaguya was a strong Celestial Spirit mage who could turn a living being of this world into a Celestial spirit of the Celestial Spirit world" Lucy replied, in recalling the events upon the GMG.
"Elder Tortoise, Sage Monkey, Storm Tiger, Man Raven, Hawkmen, Mermaid, Phoenix, and lastly Dragons. Those were only 8 of the existing creatures of Lingyue 4 centuries ago" said Mizuki in listing the eight animal species of Lingyue. "you could say that Orochi the one who caused the continent of Lingyue in the past to split into 9 islands had done something terrible to each of the eight species."
"as in?" said Erza.
"it's a large snake that has a power rivalling a god, you think it" said Kazane in reply while fanning herself with one of her war fans.
"matters of that aside, there were only one of each 8 species that survived Orochi's destruction, and they are the present 8 members of Lingyue's Celestial spirit guardians" said Daichi. "what I believe is that their past of inner freedom is coming out, meaning that their mortal parts has surfaced and are taking form."
"so what you're saying is that the 8 spirits had enough of being spirits and want to get back to their homes?" said Gajeel while cupping and scratching his chin. "sounds a bit connected to the whole attack."
"but why would they attack the Celestial spirits? The northern ones that is" said Juvia with a confused face.
"probably to break ties" Gojin stated. "I don't know what had happened to them, but all I can assume is that they hate the Celestial spirit world and its residents then they wish to get back to this world."
"that still doesn't explain for Loke and the others" said Gray while thinking.
"I believe I can explain" a voice spoke out as everyone turns to look at the guild's door and finds Hisui accompanied with Arcadios, Sting, and Rogue.
"Hisui-san!?" said Lucy in surprise to meet the Princess of Fiore once again.
"Arcadios-sama! Sting-sama! and Rogue-sama too" Yukino spoke out in seeing the Captain Knight and her two guild members.
"we're here too, yes!" "Fro thinks so too!" Lector and Frosch chimed in from below.
"it's been a while, people of Fairy Tail" Hisui greeted everyone before she looks at Ikaruga and the 8 generals. "as well as yourself, Empress"
"why are you guys here?" Lucy asked while going to the group.
"we're just here to escort them" said Sting while raising his hands up and looking at Hisui and Arcadios. "they said that they knew what the weird weather Fiore is experiencing is being caused."
"or rather by who" Rogue stated in with his arms crossed before he and Sting glances at Hisui who is frowning a bit.
"the 12 Zodiac spirits, and the 8 spirits of Lingyue." Hisui stated out before she looks at Lucy and the others. "everything is of my fault."
"what?" said Lucy with a confused and surprised face that everyone else had.
Upon the Celestial Spirit World, a battle rages on a planet as the reborn Libra faces a red haired woman wearing a red kimono robe and wielding a large red feathered fan that soon went ablaze in crimson flames.
"Kaen no Mai!" the woman exclaimed as she swung the fan down and unleashed a flaming sphere straight at Libra who swung her right leg up and kicks the flaming sphere into the air before it exploded in a bright explosion.
"may there be balance!" Libra exclaimed as she jumped into the air before spinning in a vortex that sends furies of energy blasts at the red haired woman who lifted her fan and then swung it down, unleashing a powerful gust of air slashes that barrages Libra's attack.
Both women battled to the point that it was broken by Natsu who came in with a flaming punch to the ground between the two who jumped away the moment he came.
Dirt and smoke flew everywhere as Natsu stood up and looks at the two women who took a stance when he appears.
"you're Libra, right?" said Natsu as his eyes glows red while looking at Libra whose aura is in an ominous evil aura before turning to the red haired woman. "and you're….Houou?"
"a human?" said Houou while keening her eyes. "how did you arrive to the Celestial Spirit World?"
"matters of that aside." Natsu replied as he soon ducks to dodge a kick strike from Libra. "I want answers on what is happening to this world."
Natsu soon grabs Libra by her right leg and then swung her down to the ground hard.
"gah!" Libra gasped in pain before Natsu sends a punch straight at her stomach that made her shout in pain.
'what quick reflexes!' Houou thought in surprise as Natsu grabs Libra from her neck and lifts her up before throwing her to another planet that she crashed into. 'this human….he's not a normal human at all!'
"so then…" said Natsu as he turns to look at Houou with his eyes that were glowing red and his pupils transformed into reptilian. "…will you answer my question or not?"
Returning back to the present world, everyone in the guild looks at Hisui who is frowning and is telling them the incident that caused the 12 Zodiac Celestial Spirits to attack their contractors.
"it happened during the destruction of the Eclipse Gate." Hisui stated out as she recalled the destroyed gate of time. "I've just realized that in my research to use the Eclipse Gate, the feedback of the usage would affect our world in matters such as the strange weather occurrences."
"haven't we heard of this before?" Gajeel asked. "like when we all got that fake trial at Celestial Spirit world? This and that are somehow connected?"
"in a way." Hisui replied "I believe everyone can recall that our world and the Celestial Spirit world are flowing in the same river timeline, a disruption to one side would cause a disruption to another. Therefore, that affected time would also distort the reality of both worlds."
"distort the reality?" Lucy asked with a confused face.
Natsu faces Houou as both stood a few feet away from each other while talking.
"we were awakened by something, something that we had no knowledge of." Said Houou while wielding her large fan by her side. "I just recently awakened, but I know that I have a mission to eradicate the Celestial Spirits of this world."
"even though you yourself is a Spirit?" said Natsu while his right hand slowly reached for Chitetsu's handle.
"not many humans knew that the 8 Celestial spirits of Lingyue are formerly living being of the mortal world. Is it bad to wish to return to our original home than this fake one?" Houou replied as her looks darken while her grasps on her fan tightens hard. "I maybe Houou, but I am her inner desire's manifestation, her desire to go back to our real home. I won't let anyone get in my way to achieve that desire."
"then why do you want to attack the other Celestial spirits?" said Natsu before he quickly jumped away as a storm of wind and water came striking from above and to where the man stood before.
Natsu landed a few feet away as he looks at Houou who is now accompanied by a white haired man who has tiger marks like tattoos all over his face and body, top naked and only wearing a pair of shredded baggy pants, his weapons are a pair of metal claws on his forearms that are coated in a veil of air. The other companion is a blue haired woman wearing a combination of a robe and Shogun outfit while wielding a blue scaled trident.
"so every members were turned into something just like you three, huh?" said Natsu as the two new individuals are Byakko and Seiocho, both formerly animal spirits now turned into human forms.
"Natsu Daimou, our aim is to destroy this world and return to our old one." Byakko stated as he holds up his right metal claw that had a coat of air coating it and formed claws made out of gust. "if you get in our way, we will show you no mercy."
"your powers may surpass our own individually, but together." said Seiocho as she spins her trident around before aiming its three blades at Natsu. "you won't be able to win."
"don't know if you haven't tried it, right?" said Natsu before a crimson red aura bursts around his body. "may it be one or three or all eight of you. Your aim for freedom or whatever it is are all connected to the safety of my wife. Don't think I will be calm when I hear that."
"this human, he's not bluffing" said Houou as she wields her large fan with both hands, Seiocho and Byakko nodded before they got into a stance with their weapons.
Natsu stood against the three before a powerful red lightning bolt strikes down at him. The Dragon Slayer was about to dodge when Enra in his original form appeared behind him.
"Enra?!" said Natsu in surprise.
"we're leaving!" Enra told Natsu before he holds Natsu's shoulders and then disappeared from the Celestial Spirit World, the lightning bolt strikes at the area where the two was and caused an explosion of dirt to fly everywhere.
"that one woke up from his dreams, huh?" said Byakko after seeing Enra taking Natsu away from the Celestial Spirit World.
"we are now left with only 7" Seiocho stated before she turns to look at Byakko and Houou. "what should we do? The humans will sure to interfere with our goal."
"that does not matter" said a voice as it came from above.
Byakko and the others look up and they see several individuals hovering in the air. a gruff looking middled aged man who wears a turtle designed heavy armor and wields two large shields that looks to be made out of Turtle shells, a black haired man who wear a black ninja outfit, a white haired man who wears a white robe and wields a bow and arrow, and a red haired man with red scales covering some parts of his face while wearing crimson dragon armor.
The four individuals are Genbu, Tengu, Taka, and Draco themselves as they too had humanoid forms.
"whether or not humans come and interfere with our plans, it doesn't matter" said Draco as his armor gets coated in red electricity. the former Dragon spirit's eyes turned reptilian and his hair rises up and spiked like a hedgehog. "we will make sure to destroy the Celestial Spirit World and return to our home."
Returning back to Fairy Tail, Hisui had just explained the whole theory of why the Celestial Spirits are at war with one another and the way to stop them.
"that is why, I have prepared these keys" said Hisui while motioning to Arcadios who had brought in a briefcase that he opened to revealed 12 pairs of Celestial Spirit keys. "these keys can do a Force Gate Closure to a specific member of the 12 zodiacs."
"then that means we can stop them without the whole battle, right?" said Lucy as Hisui nodded.
"but in order to use them, we must go to the Astral Spiritus" Hisui added in. "it's a place that serves as a dimensional rift between our world and the Celestial Spirit world. The keys will only work there as it is the place where Liberum's ritual will begin."
"Liberum? What'-" Yukino was about to asked Hisui on what is Liberum when Natsu came back to the guild with Enra by his side.
"Natsu!" Gray exclaimed in surprise.
"and Enra-sama!" Ayame added in, seeing the Monkey King spirit in his true form again.
"I was able to get you out in time." Said Enra to Natsu who nodded a bit before he got Haruka and Haruo lunging at him in a hug. Enra looks at the three before to Ikaruga and the 8 Generals. "Ikaruga-sama and the people of Fairy Tail. if there were any forms of destruction that my past-self have given to you all, I humbly apologize."
Enra soon bowed on his knees to everyone before he slowly lifted his head up.
"Enra-sama, we can deal with that matter on a later time" said Ayame while going near the Monkey King Spirit. "what we need to do now is to listen to the situation upon the Celestial Spirit and what have occurred upon the 8 guardian spirits."
"yes, I supposed that is the important matter right now" Enra replied while leaning his back straight. "I will answer all of your questions with the best of my knowledge."
That's a wrap!
Bye bye