SailorStar9: We now continue with Chapter 138 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?
Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and my OCs.
Chapter 138: Alvarez Empire Arc: Fairy Heart
"Everlasting magic?" Lucy breathed, after Mavis finished her tale.
"What does that entail?" Erza asked.
"It is literally everlasting." Mavis confirmed. "It's limitless. It offers magic power that will never dry up."
"Say what?" Natsu exclaimed.
"It's a source of magic you can use forever?" even Happy was shocked.
"Take, for example, the Etherion." Ulyo spoke. "Remember, that was the old Council's ultra magic spell that can easily destroy an entire nation with one blast. The Fairy Heart itself enough magic energy to fire an infinite number of Etherion blasts."
"No," Mavis corrected. "It's not quite correct to say it 'contains' magic energy; because it's limitless."
"If word of it gets out..." Wendy pondered.
"The magic world would be thrown into upheaval." Carla agreed.
"Ivan once coveted it, in fact." Makarov admitted. "It seems word of it leaked out and reached Alvarez, too."
"So Alvarez is going to invade us and try to get the Fairy Heart." Laxus realized Zeref's intentions.
"But why?" Bickslow wondered. "They're already super strong as it is."
"My guess is that they hope to defeat Acnologia." Mavis surmised. "Even Zeref himself considers him to be pure evil."
"Wait, does that mean that Acnologia is so strong that that's the only way to defeat him?" Gray gaped.
"I know this is a simple question." Happy piped in. "But if we have something this powerful, can't we just use it to make Alvarez and Acnologia go boom?"
"You have a good point." Makarov conceded. "I briefly considered using it to stop all those countless Faces. We could've had a short-term victory, but there is no telling what might happen afterward."
"On the flip side, we could very easily lose control of Etherion and resulting it to continue raining limitless destruction upon us all." Ulyo posted a possibility.
"We can't fight poison with another poison, after all." Pantherlily reasoned.
"The Fairy Heart must never be released in the world, no matter what." Mavis declared.
"Yeah, that goes without saying." the rest of the Guild members roared as one. "It's Shodai's body anyway. We don't let anyone take it."
"I never imagined the magic resulting from my sin would cause any of this or that it's drag you into this mess, too." Mavis sighed.
"Sin?" Gajeel echoed. "How is loving someone a sin or crime? I couldn't arrest you for that."
"Gajeel, you aren't in the Council anymore." Ulyo deathpanned.
"Shodai, you mustn't blame yourself." Erza encouraged.
"It was just a series of unfortunate events, after all." Carla agreed.
"Without you, Fairy Tail would never have existed." Lucy reminded.
"You're the one who brought all of us together." Gray nodded.
"We want to protect the Guild you created." Wendy declared. "That's why we're gonna fight."
"Sob..." Juvia wept.
"Juvia, what's wrong?" Ulyo turned to the tearing water mage.
"It's so sad that you have to fight the person you once loved." Juvia sobbed.
"That was a long time ago." Mavis wiped her tears. "Zeref is now a threat to all of mankind. We must defeat him."
"Still, even if we manage to deal with Alvarez's army..." Bickslow pointed out.
"Zeref himself can't age or die, right?" Laxus reminded.
"How do we defeat him, then?" Erza wondered.
"Leave that to me." Natsu grinned widely. "I'll take down Zeref. My right arm here hold a 'secret weapon'."
"So?" Lucy blinked.
"What is this 'secret weapon' of yours?" even Erza was intrigued.
"It's a secret." Natsu declared. "That's what makes it a secret weapon."
"Quit acting all mysterious!" Gray started pummeling Natsu, with Gajeel holding the Fire Dragon Slayer in place.
"What kind of secret do you got in your right arm?" Gajeel demanded.
"Still, knowing Natsu, it must be something really special." Wendy guessed.
"It sounds like you know what this 'secret weapon' is, too." Pantherlily noticed Happy's smug grin.
"Maybe." Happy beamed.
"Anyway, I can only use this technique only once." Natsu declared. "But I invented it specifically to defeat Zeref. I'm 100% sure it'll take him down."
"If he's so sure, then I'm convinced." Bickslow conceded.
"Indeed, his confidence is encouraging to hear." Erza agreed.
"I do have several strategies of my own." Mavis admitted. "But for now, I'll leave it to Natsu."
"Master." Lucy stepped forward.
"Yes?" all four Guild Masters voiced at once.
"The old man one." Lucy clarified. "Could you tell us about the enemy we're about to fight?"
"That's a good question." Makarov nodded. "I'll tell you everything that I do know. First Emperor Spriggan, here in Ishgar, he's known as the mightiest black mage of all, Zeref. And beneath him is an elite force known as the Spriggan 12. During my year there, I only managed to meet six of them. Because it's such a large region, it's a apparently quite rare for all of them to get together. Invel, the Winter General. He's Zeref's chief of staff and his chief administrator. Give his title, I believe he uses ice-based magic, but I don't know any details. Ajeel, the Desert King, is the sand mage we encountered during our escape. He's one of the Twelve's most aggressive members. Brandish, the Nation Destroyer. She isn't particularly aggressive, but she has enough magic power to wipe out entire countries. Dimaria, the Warrior Queen. I don't know what magic she has, but she's a knight revered as a goddess of the battlefield. God Serena, the mightiest of the Ten Wizard Saints. He's a disappointment of a man in every sense of the world, but I know how powerful he is more than anyone. August, the Wizard King. Be especially wary of him. From what little I know, he's on a completely different level. He possesses tremendous magic power that makes the others' pale in comparison. I've heard he can use every manner of magic from every region of the world. He might even wield most types of magic more than Zeref himself. Those are the six I have knowledge of. I only know the names of three others: Bloodman, Neinhart, and Wall."
"We'll devise our strategy." Mavis took over. "Please listen well, everyone. Zeref will come at us with his entire army. There's no question that we face an overwhelming disadvantage. And our foe is far more powerful than any we've faced before. But we will prevail with our courage and bonds. Let's show them what our Guild is made of."
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.