SailorStar9: We now continue with Chapter 140 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 140: Alvarez Empire Arc: Morning Star

At the Western Hill...

Natsu was still fighting Bakel.

"Nice scarf ya got there." Bakel blocked out the fiery punch.

"Natsu, get serious." Happy urged. "This chump would normally be a pushover for you."

"I know." Natsu replied. "But there's no telling how many more guys we'll have to deal with. I can't afford to fight at full power from the very start."

"Sky Dragon Roar!" Wendy took out her portion of soldiers with her breath attack.

"Iron Dragon Club!" Gajeel's group was sent flying off with a swipe of the lengthened iron club. "Whoa." he managed to dodge Kareem's magic explosions.

"Kareem of the Ajeel Division." Kareem introduced himself. "Here to carry out his assignment."

In Magnolia...

"There's so many of them." Gray cursed, locking the charging soldiers in a block of ice.

"It's not as many as the fight against Avatar, though." Juvia remarked.

"These guys make up quantity with quality." Ulyo stated, tossing a soldier over her shoulder and slammed one of her 'Katar of Water' water claws into the soldier's chest. "They're much better trained and have much higher magic power."

"Plus, this is just a fraction of a fraction of their whole group." Gray added. "This is gonna be irritating."

"We're here to help." Elfman jumped into the fray.

"Lisanna." Juvia blinked when the harpy Lisanna kicked down a row of soldiers.

"Mira." Ulyo gaped.

"Satan Soul: Mirajane-Seilah." Mirajane took on Seilah's form.

"You used Take-Over magic to gain Seilah's cursed power?" Juvia gawked.

"She didn't want to leave Seilah there to die." Lisanna supplied.

"Didn't this mean she basically stole her body?" Ulyo sweatdropped.

"I order you." Mirajane-Seilah activated Seilah's Macro ability. "All of you, sleep tight." she put the soldiers to sleep.

"Mira-nee, not everyone is affected." Lisanna pointed out.

"Then, let's give them a smackdown." Mirajane winked.

"You're enjoying this a little too much, Mira." Ulyo shook her head.

"The Marco demon curse." Wall entered the fight. "Now I see. She's one of the emperor's toys, indeed."

With Ajeel and Erza...

"You and your bodily fluids are about to turn bone dry." Ajeel grinned.

In the Fairy Tail Guildhall...

"Osprey Unit, Erza is in trouble." Mavis urged. "Is the Jupiter ready yet?"

"Even if we get through this wave, all the other, bigger waves will obliterate us anyway." Warren wept.

"Warren, your telepathy." Mavis told their communication heart. "Send my instructions."

"Get it together, you idiot." Max slammed a kick up Warren's groin. "We're all scared. My legs have been shaking this whole time. But we gotta fight. This is our home, you know. We have to protect it."

"I'll teach you to crotch-kick me." Warren retaliated with a broomstick up Max's ass. "Osprey unit, do you read?" his concentration centered, he contracted Bisca. "This is Warren."

In the Western Woods...

"Five minutes to Jupiter recharge." Bisca reported.

In the Fairy Tail Guildhall...

"We're counting on you." Warren pleaded. "Save our Guild."

With Ajeel and Erza...

"Wind?" Ajeel blinked when Erza swapped out to her 'Wind God Armor' dispelling the sandstorm around her.

"Wind God Armor!" with both the Wind God Sword and Sea Empress Sword, Erza cut through the sand and sent Ajeel crashing into the stern.

"That's all?" the unscathed Ajeel mocked.

At the Western Hill...

The combined attacks from the three Dragon Slayers took out the land fleet.

"More keep landing." Pantherlily noted.

"There's no end to them." Carla remarked.

"This enemy is on a totally different level in terms of strength and resources." Wendy spoke.

"That's right." Bakel declared. "Forget the Alvarez Empire." he slammed a fist down on Natsu's back. "You can't even handle the Ajeel Division."

"You sure about that?" Natsu retorted and slammed an elbow on Bakel's stomach before sending him up into the air with an uppercut.

With Ajeel and Erza...

"Bakel?" Ajeel was stunned to see his heavy-hitter smash through the hull from the ground.

"I've received it, Natsu." Erza smirked. "Your fighting spirit." she attacked the still stunned Ajeel with both her elemental swords.

"Impossible..." Ajeel winced. "She's... anything that touches me, I can turn into sand. No swords can ever cut me. A water sword?" he realized.

"The Sea Empress Sword can solidify your sand." Erza used the water elemental blade to turn the flowing sand into liquid.

"Damn you!" Ajeel cursed, using the broken mast as a foothold. "You're just a lowly soldier. I'll teach you to anger the great and mighty Ajeel." he let loose his 'Sand World' technique, engulfing the entire of Magnolia in a massive sandstorm.

"Give it up." Erza warned. "I've figured out your magic. The Wind God Sword can blow away your sand. Sand has too many inherent weaknesses." she nullified the forming attack with a swing of the wind blade.

"How about sandstorms, then?" Ajeel smirked.

"The entire ship?" Erza was stunned and Ajeel renewed his 'Sand World' technique on a much larger scale.

"Not quite." Ajeel corrected.

At the Western Hill...

"What the..." Natsu demanded as the battlefield was suddenly engulfed in a sandstorm. "Where'd this sandstorm come from?"

"Could it be t hat sand mage?" Wendy wondered.

"I can't see ahead!" Happy shut his eyes.

"This is bad." Pantherlily warned. "More enemies are coming."

"The cats stay back." Gajeel ordered. "We'll find and crush the enemy using our dragon noses."

In Magnolia...

"I can barely seen anything." Gray complained, the sudden sandstorm obscured the group's sight.

"Water Prison!" Ulyo case the water sphere to shield her group from the building sandstorm.

"The Sand World spell." Wall realized what was going on. "So the enemy has someone powerful enough to push him this far."

In the Kardia Cathedral...

"The enemy spell is getting through tee crack in the enchantment." Bickslow remarked.

"What's with this sandstorm?" Evergreen wondered. "Magnolia's pollen is already bad enough. Give me a break here. Freed, can't you reinforce the enchantment and keep the sandstorm out?"

"Are you crazy?" Freed chided. "I'm already at my limit."

In the Western Woods...

"It's finally charged again, but how am I supposed to aim in this?" Bisca winced.

With Ajeel and Erza...

"This can't be." Erza gasped. "He's enveloped the entire city in his sandstorm? They can shrink an entire island and produce such massive sandstorms. They really are on a different level than previous foes."

"Welcome to the Sand World." Ajeel declared. "In this world, I am God." he appeared behind Erza. "Raml Sayf!" creating a sand whirlwind around himself, he rained down sand bullets at Erza. "The fear of being immobilized." he landed back on the ground. "The fear of attacks you can't see. I can see it so clearly." he engulfed himself within the sand whirlwind. "Your tremendous fear of your foe."

"There." Erza located Ajeel and sent an attack using the Sea Empress Sword.

"Nope." Ajeel taunted. "That won't help you now." he reached out and grabbed Erza on the neck. "Revere to me as your God and beg for forgiveness." he tightened his grip around Erza's neck and forcing her blades to de-materalize. "Do so, and I'll mercifully grant you an instant death. Excruciating, isn't it? My magic can suck out the source of life itself: water. Do you want to die a painful, shriveled-up death? Do it. Call me 'God'."

"Even if you somehow gained godhood, my Guild, my friends, would still never fear you." Erza held her resolve. "Because we know where our faith truly belongs. Morning Star Armor!"

"You're wasting your time." Ajeel growled, shutting his eyes to shield them from the sudden burst of light. "Raml Fa'as!" he formed a sand ax in his hand. "Your head is mine."

In the Western Woods...

"A light." Bisca spotted the sparkle in the distance. "That has to be Erza's light." she shifted the Jupiter cannon, took aim and fired.

With Ajeel and Erza...

This time, Bisca's attack hit home and blasted Ajeel off Erza.

"Impossible!" the sand mage was shocked by the sudden attack.

Switching to her 'Nakagami Armor', Erza leapt forward and swung the halberd. "Nakagami Starlight!" she ended the fight, taking out Ajeel and canceling the sandstorm.

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.