Zrocker119: Before we get to the chapter, I just wanted to say that I appreciate all of those that take the time to leave a review. Whether or not it's constructive criticism or just leaving a friendly comment, it really helps keep me motivated. Now, as for those that took a swing at guessing the mystery character. While there were many, well-thought-out answers, I must say that only one of you guessed correctly!
As for who the character is, know that they never made an appearance in either the Bleach anime or the Manga, but in one of the light novels.
If you still can't figure out who it is, don't worry!
They'll be making an appearance later in the chapter XD
-Chapter 14-
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Tucking his zanpakuto into his sash, Renji double-checked that it was secure. Once he was certain it wouldn't become loose, he looked at his traveling cloak, the one that had been gifted to him by Squad Zero nearly a decade ago.
Had been that long already?
Shaking his head to clear it of any stray thoughts, Renji opted not to wear the cloak before exiting the inn and out onto the busy streets of Crocus. Though it was almost midnight, there were still people out and about. He drew some gazes here and there but he paid them little mind.
It was to be expected. Though he was unaffiliated with any of the guilds, Renji had managed to create quite the name for himself throughout the years. But his reputation wasn't the reason for the stares. No, it was because he had been seen alongside Natsu and company when they first came to the city.
It was beyond annoying that by simply hanging around members of Fairy Tail that the populace immediately thought less of his capabilities. But it wouldn't be long before the perceived weakness of the guild was discarded.
They had made amazing progress during the last three months. While none in the group were able to force Renji to unleash Zabimaru single-handedly, they were able to make him work up a decent sweat when they all ganged up against him. A far cry from how they had been on day one.
He was more than confident in their abilities to take home the victory.
Lost in his memories, Renji hadn't even realized he had ended up walking into the gardens just outside the Palace. Seeing as he was already there, Renji figured he might as well enjoy the sights. And he did just that, finding the expansive garden to be quite beautiful. But as he moved further in, he sensed a familiar presence nearby.
"Wendy?" He double-checked and found that he was not mistaken.
What was she doing wandering the city so late in the evening and with no one else? Rounding one of the corners he let out a small gasp when he caught sight of both the young dragonslayer and her faithful cat companion lying face down in the middle of the stone path.
"Wendy! Carla!" Rushing to their side, he knelt and let out a sigh of relief. While both of their magic levels were incredibly low, the two of them were simply unconscious. He wasn't sure as to how they ended up in this state, but he was just happy that they were alive and relatively unharmed.
Taking care not to jostle them too hard, he picked Wendy up in a bridal carry with Carla resting on top of her.
With the two of them secured, Renji began the long trek back to the inn in which he knew the rest of her guild was staying. While he could've used shunpo and been there in an instant, he didn't want to risk aggravating their condition further.
Renji had just cleared the gardens when he heard the announcement for the preliminaries for the Grand Magic Games. Something he knew for a fact that Wendy was supposed to be participating in as he had been there when she was chosen and had wished them good luck.
Armed with this information and the fact that their magic had appeared to have been drained, a dark thought formed in the back of his subconsciousness. Was Wendy attacked to sabotage her team?
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A few minutes earlier
Even when clad in nothing but her pajamas, Erza still managed to cut a frightful visage as she glared in disappointment at her gathered teammates. She had already heard their various excuses for them being out so late, but she wasn't having any of it.
"The games are tomorrow and we only have so much time to rest and prepare." She scolded, making the others look at the floor. But before she could continue, Erza noticed that someone was absent from the group. "Hold on. Where's Wendy?"
"Well...Carla was with her so I don't think she would get lost." Happy stated confidently.
If anything, Happy's words caused them all to worry further. For a young girl like Wendy to be out so late was never a good thing. Their plans to go out looking for her were momentarily halted when the door opened and in walked, Lisanna, Flare, and Chad.
"We brought presents!" Said Lisanna excitedly, bringing attention to the various foods and drinks the trio had brought with them.
"Oh, you guys made it back from training!" Natsu rushed up to Chad. Though the two had never fought, he had heard from Renji how powerful the taller man was and was eager to see how strong he had grown from their training in the mountains.
Chad gave the excitable dragon slayer a fist bump. "Just got back not too long ago. Heard you guys were picked to represent the guild."
Lucy rubbed the back of her head. "Yep, though Wendy and I were only picked because the others hadn't been there. I'm certain you would've been picked over us."
"Don't sell yourself short." That was all Chad said and he meant it. He could sense their magic power and the difference between what he detected now and back then was staggering. They hadn't been slouching and they deserved the chance to prove themselves.
And it was like he wouldn't be participating. Unlike Natsu and the others, Chad was aware of the existence of Fairy Tail Team B, with him being the backup member in the event one of the others was forced to withdraw or otherwise unable to continue participating.
"Speaking of which, can we ask a favor? Wendy isn't back yet and it's almost midnight. We would go look for her, but as participants in the games, we were instructed not to leave our inns." Explained Erza.
Lisanna frowned. "That's not good. We'll head out right awa-"
She didn't get the chance to finish speaking as the clock handing off the wall struck midnight and began to sound off. The sound seemed to echo throughout the whole city, reverberating off of every wall.
And a voice called out.
"Good morning to all who came to participate in the Grand Magic Games!"
Moving to look out the window, they were greeted by the sight of a giant, holographic projection of a man with a smiling pumpkin for a head.
"Due to the increasing amount of Guild participating every year...it has been decided to thin the ranks with a preliminary competition!"
"WHAT!"
This was new information to everyone. There had been nothing to hint towards a pre-games event!
"The competition is simple!"
As the announcer spoke, the inn began to shake. Looking down, Natsu and his team saw that the whole building was being raised into the air. Looking out they saw something similar happening to dozens upon dozens of other builds all across the city.
That wasn't all that was happening. Parts of buildings and even entire streets were being ripped from the ground and into the sky, where they piled together and formed a giant sphere. Then, from the window they were gathered at, a path led towards the giant amalgamation of twisted buildings.
"All you must do is make your way through the labyrinth and to the arena! But! If all five members of your team are not present when you make it to the end, then you will be eliminated! The first eight teams that arrive will be the ones to participate in the actual games!"
"With that all said, let the preliminary competition...BEGIN!"
The projection cut, leaving the group stunned.
"We have to make our way through that!" Cried the fire-breather, breaking everyone out of their shock.
"We need to get moving then!" Gray leaped out the window. He didn't make it two feet before he was snatched by the collar by Erza.
Pulling him back inside, she turned to address the others. "We need all five members present, and Wendy is missing! We'll be eliminated!"
Gray slammed his head against the wall out of sheer irritation at everything that was going on. "Then what the hell are we supposed to do!? We can't go searching for her! There isn't enough time!"
The only one not outwardly panicking was Chad, but that was due to him knowing of the existence of the second team. As far as the others knew, they were the guild's only chance at restoring the guild's good name. A lot of pressure had been placed on their shoulders.
So, in a move that shocked everyone, he tucked every one of them beneath his arms, leaped out the window, and began to charge up the path leading to the labyrinth. There were a few noises of indignation but he ignored them.
"I'll substitute for Wendy," was all he said. They stopped struggling after that, with Erza even shouting behind them, telling the others to form a search party for Wendy.
'Sorry Ichigo,' Chad thought as they reached the entrance to the labyrinth. 'But it looks like I won't be fighting alongside you this time.'
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The maze had been a real pain in the ass. By the time they had finally found their way through the ever-changing labyrinth and to the arena, they had been informed that they had just barely made it and were the last ones to arrive, earning them the eighth and final spot in the games.
It had been disheartening to learn just how close they had come to being eliminated but they had made it nonetheless.
But that wasn't the reason for the melancholy mood that hung over the team's heads as they waited to be called into the arena.
The reason for that was because they had found Wendy. Or that is to say, Renji had been the one to find her.
Seeing the former lieutenant of squad six sitting beside her bed had been a pleasant surprise for Chad, even more so when he learned that Natsu and the others had been training with him. But the mood was immediately brought down when they learned that Wendy had been attacked and drained of her magic energy and thus unable to compete in the games.
He had also shared with them his suspicions of foul play being involved.
The young girl had been heartbroken, brought to tears that all of her hard work had been for naught. It had left even the ever stoic Chad in a foul mood. He had done his best to rein in his anger, especially when Wendy, still with tears in her eyes, had asked him to do his best in her stead.
"How do you like the uniform?"
Brought out of his thoughts, Chad turned to see Lucy leaning over to look at him. Shaking his head, he stood up and looked himself over. The Guild Master had demanded that they all wore team colors. Though it had taken a moment for Chad to get his, as the old man had prepared a dress for Wendy.
He now sported a royal purple, sleeveless, two-tailed trench coat that was left open to show his bare chest. After that came a pair of matching khakis and dress shoes. Besides the color change, it was startlingly similar to the outfit Urahara had given him before departing to Soul Society to help with the war.
"I like it."
Lucy smiled at the giant. Before the two could converse more, they heard the announcers call for their team. They all shared a silent nod and stood, with Chad grabbing the flag that sported their guild mark.
They strode into the grand arena, their heads held high and fists raised. But instead of being greeted with cheers, there was only the sound of boos from the stands.
"T-they're booing us," Lucy said dejectedly.
"Let them," Erza motioned towards a particular section of the stands. "The only ones we need to cheer us on are our guildmates."
And she was right. One of the sections that lined the edge of the arena was filled to bursting as it seated their entire guild. It was particularly humorous to see the shocked expressions of the townspeople that sat close as Fluffy, who had grown even larger, nearly took up half the section.
What really caused them to double-check their eyes was the sight of the first guild master seated amongst them. Even more so when it was apparent that none but their fellow guild members could see or hear her.
The announcers continued forward with announcing the participating guilds.
7th place was Quatro Cerberus.
6th place was the all-female guild, which drew the attention of many hot-blooded males, Mermaid Heel.
5th place was Blue Pegasus. But strangely enough, only four of their members were present.
4th place was held by Lamia Scale.
Unlike the other guilds that had entered, the Lamia Scale group turned and acknowledged their existence.
"Hope you remember our bet Gray," Lyon spoke. "If we win, Juvia will be joining us."
Gray grit his teeth, but still managed to smirk at his old rival. "I don't recall ever agreeing to that wager. But it doesn't matter. We're winning this thing."
"Oh, are we making wagers? In that case," A shiver shot up Erza's spine as Ichiya appeared beside her and winked. "How about you join us should we win?"
"No," Erza immediately shot the notion down. "But since you're over here, can I ask you a question? Where's your fifth guildmate?"
"Ah, our newest member was so excited about participating that he ran ahead. But this is his first time in the city, so I'm afraid to say he got lost." Ichiya's explanation causes many of those listening in to sweatdrop.
"But worry not," He struck a pose and winked. "Though he has only been a member of two days, I know that he's quite capable! I'm certain he'll find his way here soon enough!"
Did they hear that right? This fifth person had only been a member of Blue Pegasus for two days, and yet they had been chosen to participate in the games.
Curious as to who this guild member was, Erza began to ask more but their conversation was put on hold as the next guild was announced, causing a ripple of shock to pass through the crowd.
After all, it wasn't every day that a Dark Guild participated in the Games.
"What the hell is Raven Tail doing here!?" They could hear Makarov roar from the stands.
Much to the old man's dismay, the announcers revealed that Raven Tail had officially been recognized as a legal guild, meaning that they were allowed to participate without issue.
"Fairy Tail." The one that spoke wore heavy, full plate armor that completely concealed his appearance, "did you find the girl? That was our way of greeting."
All of Team Fairy Tail developed dark expressions.
"You bastards are the ones that did that to Wendy!?" Natsu took a threatening step towards them, but Raven Tail remained unfazed by the display.
Unnoticed by them all, one of the members of Raven Tail, one mostly concealed by a cloak, was glaring hatefully at Chad.
While Fairy Tail stewed in their anger for a moment longer, they eventually managed to bring it under control. They would settle the score another time. For now, they still had two guilds to be introduced to.
That struck Natsu and the others as odd. They knew that Sabertooth had to be one of the remaining guilds. So that begged the question. Who was the other?
"And what's this!? I never could have seen this coming! Will this be key to restoring their guilds' former glory!? It's Fairy Tail Team B!"
"...WHAT!?"
Natsu, Erza, Gray, Lucy, and pretty much the entire stadium all dropped their jaws in shock at the sight of Ichigo, Mirajane, Laxus, Gajeel, and Luvia striding into the arena. The only ones not completely floored by this turn of events were Chad and Makarov.
"T-This can't be allowed!" Lucy cried in shock.
"For those that didn't read the rules this year, know that it is completely legal for a guild to have a maximum of two teams!"
Lucy's head dropped at the declaration and she could even hear Makarov cackling madly from the stands.
While that was going on, Erza noticed Chad's ever stoic expression. "Why aren't you surprised by this?"
"I knew."
"...WHAT!?"
"I was supposed to be on their team as a backup member." Ignoring his teammates' looks of shock, Chad approached the others.
Ichigo took notice and approached as well, and the two met halfway. There was a tense silence as they stared the other down, one that was felt by all the gathered guilds who watched onwards, curious as to what was about to happen.
Chad was the one to speak first.
"Ichigo. Of everyone here, I'm the only one that has an understanding of your power. But even so, I don't intend to lose."
Ichigo's eyes momentarily widened before a small smirk overcame his features, followed by him holding out a fist. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
Chad nodded before raising his fist and bumping it against his friends.
"Hell yeah!" Natsu roared. He ran over to stand beside Chad and pointed to their fellow guildmates. "I don't care if we are part of the same guild! We're gonna fight you with everything we've got! So you better not hold back!"
"Gehehehe, bring it on, Mr. Eighth place." Taunted Gajeel, earning a grow from his fellow dragon slayer.
"Looks like we'll be going against each other." Mirajane spoke to Erza. Though she still held her kind smile, a dangerous aura of magic clung to her form.
Erza responded with a confident smirk, memories of their younger selves scrapping it out playing in her mind.
"So, you are Ichigo Kurosaki."
Ichigo turned to find that one of the members from Lamia Scale had approached while he was speaking with Chad. The man was quite tall, with a bald head, long, dark beard, and a dark-colored kimono.
"I'm Jura Neekis." He gave a respectful bow. "It's a relief that another member of the Wizard Saints is participating in the Games. Wouldn't want the competition to be too easy."
Ichigo returned the gesture. "Nice to meet you, Jura. And I wouldn't worry about things being too easy if I were you. Just because we're the only Wizard Saints here doesn't mean my guildmates aren't strong."
Jura nodded. "I meant no disrespect. I can sense that everyone has grown much stronger since I had last seen them. But still, I hope that I get to test myself against you. I knew Chrona before his disappearance, so for him to recommend you as a Saint speaks volumes of your capabilities."
"I'll try not to disappoint."
"And Finally, for the team that took first place in the preliminaries! You all know and love them! Please help me welcome the powerful! The Undefeated Champions! SABERTOOTH!"
To say that the crowd went crazy was an understatement. The amount of cheer and applause the number one guild received made all the others look poultry by comparison.
"So...that's them?" Ichigo frowned, not liking the cockiness that most of Team Sabertooth expressed.
"Yes," Chad answered as he stepped forward, much to the confusion of the rest of his team.
"Orga."
The god slayer turned to see who called him out, ready to dismiss them. But once he saw who it was, he grinned. An action that took his guildmates by surprise.
"Chad." The man hadn't changed over the years. The only difference was the large scar that took up a majority of his chest. His eyes fell to Chad's right arm. "I see I'm not the only one to walk away from our fight bearing scars."
"I didn't walk away." Raising his scared limb, Chad clenched his fist and punched the air in front of him. "I'm going to even the score between us."
Sting clicked his tongue while his fellow teammate, Rufus, looked over the man with a curious gaze. While he didn't find Chad particularly impressive, he had managed to scar Orga. If that didn't speak volumes of his capabilities, then he didn't know what would.
Orga's grin grew even wider. "I've spent the last two years preparing for our inevitable fight. So you better not disappoint me!"
The crowd was left in stunned silence. In all the previous Grand Magic Games, no member of Sabertooth had ever made a declaration towards a specific competitor, let alone one from Fairy Tail.
"Hmmm, maybe you guys aren't all bad." Commented Ichigo, earning him a dismissive look from Orga's teammates.
"Now that all of the teams are here, let's begin-"
"WAIT!"
The center of the arena exploded as something came crashing from above, kicking up a thick layer of smoke and dust. There was a brief flare of energy from within, causing the cloud to disperse, revealing the one responsible for the ruckus.
"I'M SO SORRY THAT I'M LATE!"
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Nearly ten years ago when Ichigo, in a fit of rage and despair, tore a hole into the realm between, he had unintentionally won.
While he wasn't as powerful as Yhwach, the progenitor of the Quincy's required his lost son's raw spiritual power to fully replace the Soul King.
With Ichigo and those that had been nearby gone and forever outside of his reach, Yhwach, even after taking in and absorbing all the souls within reality, was unable to achieve a state of equilibrium necessary for his plan to succeed.
It was due to this that Yhwach, even with all of his godly might and power, was unable to fulfill his dream of creating a world without a concept of death.
And it was at that moment, Grigori witnessed the death of an entire reality as its god imploded under the might of his power.
But not all was lost.
For even in death, life could still thrive.
In the wake of Yhwach's death, Grigori found a single fragment. One with a great deal of power, for it, held within the essence of all spiritual beings.
But even it couldn't survive in the realm between for long.
So the Great Wyrm, for the final time, broke his vow and interfered in a dimension outside of his own.
With the fragment in hand, Grigori returned to his home dimension and using his foresight, searched for a host. It wasn't long before he stumbled upon one.
The child had died from illness and only had a grandmother to mourn their passing. It was while the aged woman had been distracted by her grief that Grigori had placed the fragment within the child's still heart.
The effect had been instantaneous.
The child's body and soul were broken down and rebuilt faster than even Grigori could perceive, reformed so that it could host the fragment of a god.
And then the child breathed once more.
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The one that spoke was a child, a boy, barely taller than Wendy and appeared to be the same age. He had dark skin, short dark hair, and red eyes that sparkled with innocence found only in children.
He wore a simple red, shoulder-less Shihakusho and black shorts. Around his waist was a beige sash tied back into a bow. He wore matching leg warmers with steel shin guards but left his feet bare.
Secured to his back by a length of chain was a long broadsword with a wrapped hilt, no guard, and was entirely white. The handle is quite long, and combined with the blade is almost the size of the kid himself. But despite how heavy such a blade should be, the kid seemed to have no trouble carrying it around.
Ichigo, along with all the gathered guilds and the crowds in the stands, stared at the boy with varying degrees of confusion.
And then he blinked.
The boy no longer stood in the crater his entrance had created. In the split-second Ichigo had not been watching him, the boy had moved and now stood in front of Ichiya and was bowing.
"I'm so sorry, Ichiya," the kids' eyes shone as tears threatened to spill. "All the hallways look the same. I got so turned around and lost that I ended up in the city and-"
"Calm, young man. Calm down a breath." Ichiya ordered in a kind tone.
The boy stopped talking as instructed and took several breaths before finally settling down, though his eyes shone slightly with unshed tears.
Ichiya nodded, struck a pose, and winked. "Good. Now, worry not. The games haven't yet begun, so while you are late, it is fashionably so! Now, introduce yourself to our competitors!"
"Aye!"
The kid spun on his heels, his mood shifting from near tears to happy instantly. Hands clasped behind his back, he bowed politely,
"I'm Hikone Ubuginu!" He looked up at everyone with a tooth-filled smile. "You all seem Super strong! So please, let's be friends!"
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"Sure."
Chad blinked as Hikone seemed to teleport directly in front of him, staring up with a hopeful expression.
"Really!? Do you mean it!"
Chad gave a nod which caused the young boy to whoop with joy.
"Oh, you are just too cute!" Cooed Mirajane, quickly pulling Hikone into a hug.
Despite being somewhat smothered by her ample bosom, Hikone continued to smile brightly, completely oblivious of the envious looks being sent his way by many men, both on and off the field.
"...She's not wrong." Admitted Erza. The boy's excitable attitude was rather endearing and had her questioning how he ended up in a guild full of playboys. But that was a question for another time.
They had a competition to win.
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With the introduction of Blue Pegasus' final member, the Grand Magic Games were officially underway. The announcers explained that each day would begin with an opening contest where each team would choose a member to participate. Once completed and the score tallied, they would move onto the Battles, where the sponsors would pit competitors against each other.
From their place in the stands, Ichigo watched with the rest of his team as Gray and Juvia competed in today's opening contest, Hidden. Long story short, it was a giant game of hide and seek. Only they were hiding in a large, magically constructed city that was full of fake copies of all those that were participating.
Find who the real ones are, attack them and gain a point. Attack a fake, lose a point. Get attacked by a competitor, you lost two points. Simple really.
But in all honesty, Ichigo wasn't paying attention to the competition all that much. No. The center of his attention was the young boy sitting on the edge of the stadium and watching the games with childish glee.
"Ichigo?" He turned to see Mirajane looking at him with concern. "Is everything alright?"
"I'm fine." There was a flash of light, followed by the crowd going crazy as Rufus scored direct hits on all of the other competitors in one fell swoop, instantly rocketing him into first place. "Just confused is all."
"About the kid?" Laxus asked.
"Yeah."
"Why? He's a bit annoying, but so are a lot of people we know. What's confusing about that?"
Ichigo shook his head. "You wouldn't get it."
From the moment he appeared, Ichigo knew exactly what Hikone was. He could sense it.
The boy was a hybrid. A perfect combination of Hollow, Human, Shinigami, and Quincy.
Exactly Like Ichigo.
But how was that possible? Ichigo was more than aware of just how ludicrous his conception was. For even remotely similar circumstances to happen again was simply impossible. So how!?
How was it possible?
He shook his head. Thinking of the how and why wouldn't do him any good. All he could do was just accept that there was a fellow hybrid and move on. Besides, the kid seemed harmless enough. His spiritual energy wasn't even on the level of a seated officer.
There was nothing to worry about.
He noticed Mirajane still looking at him, the concern from before still present. Slipping on a small smile, he took her and into his own and gave her a reassuring squeeze. She smiled before reciprocating the gesture.
Since that night almost a week ago, the two had grown much closer. Neither was sure of what exactly to call their current relationship but both were certain it was more than just a shared physical attraction. So for the moment, both only went so far as to have little moments like this. Just simple, comforting gestures.
Though it was somewhat ruined for Ichigo due to Zangetsu cackling in the back of his skull.
The first competition soon came to an end, and unfortunately, both bottom positions were occupied by Fairy Tail. He didn't care all that much about the results as it was from a game that was a bad matchup for his fellow guildmates. What he did care about though was the jeers coming from the crowd.
And so, in a brief moment of irritation, he allowed a fraction of his spiritual pressure to slip from his control. The effect was instantaneous. The once booing and jeering crowd went silent as a heavy pressure washed over them.
"Sorry about that," Ichigo said, though his expression was anything but apologetic. "It's just that it's hard to control my power whenever I get irritated. So try and keep the jeering to a minimum, yeah?"
Feeling that the crowd was significantly cowed, he reaffirmed his control and the pressure disappeared. Several observers attempted to stare him down but a glimpse in their direction was all it took to quiet them.
"That was mean of you." Mirajane giggled, not at all surprised by his action.
Ichigo just shrugged and returned his attention to the field as the first battle match was announced.
"For the first match of the day! We have Fairy Tail's Lucy Heartfilia vs Raven Tail's Vicub Alabaster!"
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Lucy took a deep, calming breath before stepping out into the arena where her opponent was already waiting. She had never heard of Vicub before but once he had been announced as her opponent, Chad had told their team of his encounter with the man nearly two years ago.
According to Chad, the man had been a member of Sabertooth at the time, and that his magic relied on placing arrow-shaped glyphs that greatly increased his speed. His last tidbit of information was that he liked to attack from behind.
So, with all that filed away, Lucy waited for the match to start. Her guild was counting on her and she wouldn't let them down.
"Hey, Blondie. You're friends with that big bastard right?"
Vicub hadn't changed all that much physically over the years. He had grown slightly more muscular and now had a scar that ran down his forehead and across his right eye.
Lucy scowled, "his name is Chad."
"Oh, trust me. I know his name." He slid one foot back and put weight on it. "It's because of him that I got kicked out of my old guild. And while I would love nothing more than to take it out of his hide, for now."
The announcer gave the go-ahead and the match began.
"I'll settle with you!"
There was no build-up of magic. No glyph to increase his speed. No sign or telling at all.
Vicub simply disappeared before her eyes.
And then Lucy felt pain in her stomach before being launched back.
Tumbling to her feet, Lucy looked in the direction she had come from to see her opponent standing where she had been, a leg raised. He had kicked her. Faster than her eyes could track.
"What the hell!?" Shouted Natsu. "I thought you said he had to place a glyph to move that fast!"
"He did." Everyone looked to Chad. "Look at his foot."
Doing so, Erza and the others turned back to the match to see that Lucy had managed to summon Taurus but the Celestial Spirit was outmatched in terms of speed.
Looking closely, they were able to see what Chad had been talking about. As Vicub blitzed the bull spirit and attacked Lucy directly, they could see several glyphs lining the bottom of his shoes.
Natsu growled, flames flickering past the corners of his mouth. Of their entire team, Lucy was the slowest by a fair margin. And while she was able to somewhat keep track of her opponent after witnessing his speed, she could do little to touch him.
It was a terrible matchup. All she could do was last until the time ran out and force a draw.
But she never got the chance.
Lucy had switched out Taurus, summoning both Loke and Virgo in his place. But as she began to give the two orders, Vicub disappeared once again.
"You're boring me."
That was the last thing to reach her ears, followed by a sharp pain in the back of her skull before falling to the ground and losing consciousness.
Standing over her prone form, Vicub looked up in Fairy Tail's direction. Sneering, he pointed to Chad before dragging a thumb across his throat.
The challenge was clear. But now wasn't the time to acknowledge it for they had a guildmate to look after.
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The next two matches were much more underwhelming.
Ren from Blue Pegasus went up against Arana from Mermaid Heel and ended with Ren as the victor.
The third match had Orga being pitted against Warcry from Cerberus, but to call it a fight would be a lie as Orga defeated his opponent in one shot, ending the match within a second. So to say it was anticlimactic would be an understatement.
It wasn't until the day's final match was about to be announced that Ichigo finally became interested as one of his teammates would be going against someone from Lamia Scale.
"And for the closing match, the sponsors have decided to end the day with a bang! For we have a battle of the Saints! Lamia Scale's, Jura Neekis vs Fairy Tail's, Ichigo Kurosaki!"
Ichigo blinked as Cana slapped him on the shoulder. "Better put on your game face, Ichigo! Jura's no slouch!"
"How strong is he?" He could sense a great deal of power coming off of the wizard, but he sincerely doubted Jura was exerting his full power before they even entered the arena.
Mira put a finger to her chin in thought. "Hmmm, from what I can sense, Erza and I would have to team up to beat him. But even then we might not win...so you should do just fine!"
While Jura was impressive, he didn't feel nearly as powerful as Zangetsu. The sword spirit had been one of the most powerful beings she had ever gone up against. And though she never feared for her life, Zangetsu had a terrifying presence while fighting and there had been several instances where it felt like they were being crushed under the weight of his power.
And he only made up half of Ichigo's power.
Cana nodded in agreement, much to the surprise of their other teammates. Though this was to be expected. Unlike the two of them, Gajeel, Juvia, and Laxus had only a few interactions with Ichigo and other than his brief fight with Natsu, had no incline of his strength.
"Try not to beat him too badly though," smiled Mira. "Jura's a good man and a friend of the guild."
"I'll try and make it entertaining."
Giving them a final wave, Ichigo hopped over the waist-high wall and into the arena where Jura was ready and waiting.
"I didn't think we would be facing each other this early into the competition." Stated Jura once Ichigo stood across from him. "They normally save spectacles like this for later."
"That makes two of us."
All around them they heard the roaring of the crowd. Though unsurprisingly it was all aimed towards Jura as he was the more favored of the two. With the sole exception being Ichigo's guildmates.
"Personally, I'm disgusted by the amount of disrespect the public aims toward Fairy Tail and would love nothing more than to see your guild do well. But," Jura's body was enveloped in a soft, yellow hue as he began to emit magic power. "My master would throw a fit if she saw me going easy on you."
"She wouldn't be the only one," Ichigo said with a small frown and leaking his spiritual pressure. Unlike Jura, Ichigo didn't attempt to keep most of it contained to his form.
The air shook and the ground cracked as his raw, spiritual power flowed like a wave of white and blue. The action was so unexpected from someone that was a part of the weakest guild that the crowd was left stunned in awe.
Seeing that his fellow Wizard Saint was as strong as the title suggested, Jura followed his example and stopped holding back, the magic flowing from him like a massive current that threatened to wash everything away.
And then it was gone. Pulled back into the two behemoths that had unleashed it in the first place.
"Come at me with the intent to kill."
Drawing his blade, Ichigo stared Jura down, his eyes aglow with power and determination.
"Otherwise, you won't be able to scratch me."
.
.
.
-End-
Zrocker119: Before anyone leaves a review correcting me, yes, I am well aware that Hikone is genderless. But for this story, I'm making them a boy for simplicity's sake, and also because I thought they were one when I first saw them. Also, congratulations to KagamiArisato for being the only one to guess correctly. I know we talked through PMs, but still. Nicely done!
Last thing. Hikone is the last bleach character that will be involved in this story. So don't worry about others popping up.
Till next time!