Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Fairy Tail.
Chapter 26: Coup (X784)
Doppelgängers spawned in the hundreds, scattered around the cavernous Anima chamber. Without prompting, they filed through the double doors that served as the entrance to the chamber, all heading in different directions. Two clones stayed behind, maintaining vigilance at the doors even as they festooned the area with seals of all sorts. A final Naruto cloaked himself in Tōton Jutsu once more, before heading out through the gap in the roof.
The creator himself strode over to a nondescript side exit, opening the unlocked door with little fanfare. Behind it, a vertically challenged man with a brown afro shivered in fright, the front of his pants darkened with the evidence of his unintended micturition.
"Would you kindly lead me to your control centre?" Naruto asked pleasantly.
The man stared at Naruto with wide eyes, clutching the clipboard to his chest. He shook his head twice in a practised manner, before seemingly realising his predicament and nodded fervently instead. He turned to point behind him shakily, still muted in fear. Naruto thanked the young man, before ambling down the brightly lit passageway, leaving the brown-haired man to faint dead away.
It was a relatively short and straight pathway with a single door at the end of it, which made for a swift journey bereft of any excitement. The door at the end of the corridor was also unlocked, which meant the blond could make his entrance far more civil than what one might expect from a man attempting a coup d'état. Striding into the control centre of the Anima project, he found a dozen eyes pinned on him. But only one person dared to approach, a tiny woman with grey-streaked hair arranged in a bun.
"What do you want?" she demanded impatiently, as if he were merely an annoying superior.
"Could you please create an Anima that can take all the magic from Edolas to Earthland?" the ninja queried politely. "Or if that's impossible, could you please create enough Animas to do it?"
The freckled woman snorted. "And why should I do that? You asking me to do it for you just means that you don't know how to do it. And if I fuck with your plans, maybe Faust might give me a proper budget for once."
Naruto smiled. "You were there, were you not? When I came through the Anima and killed all those soldiers?"
"Are you trying to intimidate me, boy?" the woman scorned, looking up and down at Naruto in false scepticism. "You're a hundred years too young for that."
"Not really. I can tell you don't really enjoy working for Faust though. I'm going to kill him and Byro, and install my own puppet to the throne. He'll be more than willing to indulge you with a proper budget to explore things other than stealing magic from Earthland. In fact, he'll probably ban any research of that kind," Naruto explained his plan, leaning forwards in a conspiratorial manner. "Does that interest you?"
"…It does," the woman admitted, adjusting her glasses. "But that's treason. If you fail, Faust will have my head."
"Alda-san!" a scientist exclaimed.
"Quiet! I know what I'm doing!" the head of the department hissed, before turning to Naruto with a stern expression. "So, what guarantees do you have for us?"
"None, except what you've seen from me so far. Are you still willing to place your bets on me?" the shinobi offered.
Alda ruminated for a moment, glaring daggers at the pleading expressions of her staff. Within moments, she came to a conclusion, putting her hand out. Naruto grasped her much smaller hand in his, shaking firmly. "Pleasure doing business with you. I'll advise none of your staff leave this room until everything blows over. Although two of you could go collect your colleague who fainted in the corridor."
"That Helmut, always so weak," Alda shook her head in exasperation, before hollering at her subordinates. "What are you all waiting for, someone to hold your hand? GET TO WORK!"
The men and women in lab coats jumped in fright, and scurried about as they began to adjust their instruments and initiate the creation of Reverse Anima. Naruto marvelled at their technology, the blinking lights and numerous dials, and understanding none of the jargon that Alda fired from her lips.
Once the staff got into their groove, Naruto was accosted by Alda. "You. You were the one interfering with Anima from the other side, weren't you? Do you know how much trouble you caused me with Faust?"
"It's your Prince Jellal who did most of that. I just figured out a way to help," Naruto shrugged nonchalantly. "I know how to close them well enough, but opening them in a stable manner, big enough to take all the magic from Edolas? I'll rather trust your expertise. Besides, Jellal needs all the support he can get when he becomes king, and winning over the scientists who can help build the technology to overcome reliance on magic is pretty important in my opinion."
"What makes you think we'll support him?" Alda retorted.
"Because he isn't a crazy old man who refuses to invest any money in your department unless it has to do with magic collection?" Naruto cocked an eyebrow. "And we both know that Faust would kill your entire department to seal lips the moment his other plans come to fruition. You're wise enough to know that Code ETD spells not just the Exceed's, but also your doom."
"How do you even know of that?" the head scientist frowned. "Only his little council knows of Code ETD."
"Byro can attempt to hide his documents, but it's not much of a challenge for me," the black-clad man remarked. "You found out about it too."
"He can try, but he can't hide that hideous cannon away," the woman scoffed, shaking her head. "And when so many fellow scientists disappear right after his secret project was completed…any fool can figure it out."
Naruto nodded. "And it wasn't hard to draw conclusions on your own fate once you're no longer needed to run Anima."
"Make it painful, will you?" Alda requested.
Naruto mimed tipping a hat. "Will do."
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Mira wrapped her gauntleted fingers the shaft of the spear, pulling hard to divest Knightwalker of her primary weapon. The crimson-haired woman was equal to her, holding on to the lance with all her might. The Take Over mage stomped on Erza's armoured foot with bone crunching force, the floor cratering as the war captain's footing was compromised. Erza countered by jerking her spear, the butt of the weapon smashing against Mira's temple. Unfazed, the Earthland native contorted, planting her other foot into the unprotected gut of Knightwalker and sending her careening along the corridor.
Not intending to wait, Mira blasted after her opponent with a mighty flap of her bat-like wings. She was met with an arrow spearhead hurtling towards her face. Twisting in midair, the ivory-haired woman dodged the counterattack by mere millimetres, but it left her open for Erza to smash the shaft of her lance into her torso. Correcting her unintended lateral flight, Mira crossed her arms and heaved upwards as Silfarion moved unerringly towards her heart, her impromptu defence knocking the spear's path harmlessly over her shoulder.
Launching forwards, Mira rammed Erza with a painful shoulder to the chest. Her breath knocked out of her, the crimson-haired lancer still had the presence of mind to lift an armoured knee, colliding with the white-haired woman's sternum. Mira retaliated, grabbing the offending leg and twisting it brutishly. Erza didn't resist, allowing the momentum to spin her rapidly. The spin became a counteroffensive as she threw out her other leg, catching Mira by the side of her face. The Take Over mage gritted her teeth, throwing a palm out and fired a small sphere of black energy that exploded in Erza's face.
The two landed on the ground roughly, Mira still keeping inside of Erza's guard as she quickly straddled the prone woman, firing a rapid fusillade of punches into the latter's torso. Saliva flew out of Erza's mouth as she was repeatedly pounded with devilish strength, but unbound, the army captain was able to transform her spear, tapping Explosion against the ground and utterly destroying it. Falling to the floor below, Erza unleashed another blast in close range, blowing Mira and her apart.
Landing adroitly, Mira growled as her body throbbed where she had been hit. But the early exchange had only one victor, as Knightwalker stumbled out of the cloud of dust and debris bruised from head to toe. She spat a gob of red-tinged saliva on the ground, baring her crimson-stained teeth. Her spear was engulfed in a bright glow, transforming into a lance with a wide tri-pronged spearhead. The entire spearhead luminesced almost blindingly as Erza wordlessly unleashed a spiralling blast of wind at Mira.
The ivory-haired woman stood resolute in the face of buffeting gales, a condescending glint in her navy orbs. Facing her palms a short distance apart, she began to gather dark magical energies in that space, before throwing her palms forwards. The vortex of energy erupted in a magical blast that brushed aside the gusts from Mel Force like an unwanted stepchild. It blotted Erza out of view completely, shattering everything unfortunate enough to be in its annihilative path.
The black and purple energies were suddenly split into two streams, as a glowing spear sliced right through the blast. Mira released the spell and leaned backwards as Rune Save flashed over her body. Planting a hand on the ground, the Earthland mage snapped her foot up, catching Erza in the jaw. The crimson-haired spearwoman kicked out, metal boot smashing into her groin and sending Mira bouncing away. Mid flight, the Take Over mage aimed a beam of darkness at her adversary, the attack almost catching the war captain by surprise. She managed to swing her spear at the beam just in time, cutting through and dissipating the energy.
Rolling to her feet, Mira grunted as twin blasts of ice and fire came barrelling towards her, a double helix of juxtaposed elements. Gathering energy in her palms once again, Mira kicked off the ground and retaliated with another towering blast of dark energy, overwhelming Blue Crimson's attack and tearing through four storeys of concrete and masonry. She landed on the singed ground with a soft thud, her breath coming short and sharp as she tried to see through the gloom wrought by the dust from her attack.
Then, the ground beneath her ruptured as a huge black orb of gravity punched through the floor. Knightwalker roared as she collected Mira against the orb formed on the tip of Gravity Core, crushing the mage against the ceiling. She then released the orb, and reversing the attractive powers of gravity sent the ivory-haired woman smashing helplessly through several layers of infrastructure. As Mira tried desperately to right herself in mid-flight, a tight beam of energy followed her, carving a deep hole in her side and instantly cauterising the grievous wound.
She howled as pain pervaded her senses, overriding any thoughts of counterattacking. Her demon constitution worked overtime to begin the healing process, but it was no reprieve from the agony. She focused on the pain, fuelling her rage as her dwindling magic reserves coughed up more power, wrapping her in a blue and white suit with high collars. Golden armour shielded her chin and covered her face, surrounding two massive horns on the side of her head. Her hair had grown substantially, a spiky mane of white that trailed to her knees and bounced against her dark cape. Her feet were alit with flames, controlled blasts of fire allowing her to right herself and hover in midair.
Mira gnashed her teeth as she dodged another beam of energy, her wound flaring with excruciating pain. She dived downwards, dancing around the multiple bolts that filled her vision. With a guttural roar, she stuffed her clawed fist into the opening of the cannon before Knightwalker could change its form. Choked, the cannon exploded as another blast was forcibly contained, pushing the two fighters apart. The mouth of the cannon was split open like a flower in bloom, but served only as an inconvenience as Erza transformed the Ten Commandments once again.
"You're running on fumes, bitch," the crimson-haired lancer taunted. "I hope you like wearing collars."
"Fumes?" Mira spat, immolating her entire body. "I'm running on FIRE!"
A meteor soaring through the sky, the Take Over mage howled as she hurtled towards Erza, who wielded a version of the Ten Commandments that had a simple spear tip. Curved blades protruding from the ornate cross-guard, and a single red crystal was embedded in the centre of the spearhead. Saint Spear: Ravelt met blazing demon with earthshaking force, gale-force winds erupting from the pressure of the impact as a blinding white light accompanied the enormous explosion.
The floor and walls simply evaporated as the clash turned everything in its vicinity to fine dust. All over the city, people screamed and pointed as an entire wing of the palace was obliterated in the clash, debris raining down on citizens. Two towers leaned over perilously, before their structural reinforcements gave way, falling over and smashing several houses at the bottom. A supersonic shockwave followed, rattling teeth and deafening anyone unfortunate enough to be in range. The palace became a literal inferno as the demonic flames spread with wild abandon, weakening the crumbling infrastructure even further. They were half a dozen storeys beneath where they first started duelling, yet there were only open skies above their heads now.
Both combatants struggled to stand, their energies mostly expended. Ravelt was cracked and on the verge of crumbling to dust in the deathly grip of the spearwoman, while thick rivulets of blood stained the blue and white suit of the demon. Sweat broke out from every inch of skin, only to evaporate in the infernal heat almost immediately. They panted tiredly, bones creaking, muscles screaming for rest, but neither was going to give in.
"A final clash…how cliché," Erza coughed, the black smoke from the burning debris a choking concoction.
"Unlike you, I can keep going," Mira retorted weakly, far more at home in the fiery environment.
"We'll see if you can after this!"
Twin roars erupted from their lips as the two adversaries charged at each other. Erza thrust Ravelt forwards with all her remaining strength, the spear whistling as it pierced through the air. Mira focused all her power in her clawed hand, throwing a powerful palm at the crimson-haired woman. But at the last moment, Erza's arms seemed to lose all strength, Ravelt completely missing its target as the woman stumbled, her eyes widening in horror as she realised the inevitable end to the fight. Mira yelled in triumph as her palm smashed into Knightwalker's sternum, blasting the woman through several rooms before her impromptu flight ended, her unconscious body slumping in a cratered wall.
Not a moment later, the full body suit gave way to a simple, tattered dress as Mira's magic faded. Her chest heaved as she took large gulps of air, her wound looking even larger and more grotesque in her petite, human form. She fell backwards, her body collapsing into strong, muscular arms that lifted her with ease. Blinking her blurry eyes rapidly, she eventually identified the mop of yellow hair with a little difficulty.
"Did you save them?" the Take Over mage murmured weakly.
"I got the most of the civilians out of the way in time. But some soldiers…"
She sighed, feeling hypocritical. "Sorry."
Despite her condition, she could still feel the various magical runes being planted on her, offering magic to the demons lurking within her and coaxing their healing powers to the fore. She could feel the demon particles staunch the bleeding from her cracked and blistered wound, growing new flesh and tissue to replace what had been lost. She relaxed in the bridal carry, shutting her eyes for a quick rest.
"Don't you dare say a word," she muttered exhaustedly.
"I wasn't going to," the man replied a little petulantly.
Mira opened a single eye to glare at the man she loved. "You were about to patronise me."
"You kept it to close combat for quite a while to minimise the collateral damage," Naruto pointed out reasonably. "And you did win."
"Not without casualties. And I didn't even win fair and square," the ivory-haired woman shot back, shutting her eyes once more. "You interfered. No one conveniently trips over themselves into an attack like that."
"Is Lisanna or your pride more important?" Naruto countered.
"That's the only reason you're not in deeper shit with me right now," she answered exasperatedly.
"Right, shutting up now."
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Naruto moved swiftly and silently through the vast network of hallways that connected the numerous towers of the grand palace, taking out guards with maximum fuss and minimum hurt. Rooms were searched and sieved for information, for potential enemies, for anything vaguely important. The dungeons were a trove of possibilities, and copies of the blond naturally headed to the bowels of the palace.
Stepping into the dank, dimly lit corridors that led downwards, the rancid smell of putrefaction assaulted their noses. Brackish water dripped from the ceilings and from gaps in the stone walls, the sound of droplets hitting small puddles highly distracting. The narrow steps and passageway soon gave way to a wider prison area, replete with two ageing guards who were there probably because they couldn't smell the suffocating odours that percolated the dungeon. The team of four Narutos knocked them out gently, tapping the back of their necks with a finger alit with purple energies.
Cells lined the area, the prison full of incarcerated individuals. The small spaces the prisoners lived in were filthy and claustrophobic, but Naruto had other concerns. The misshapen men and women moaned in agony, most of them practically unaware of their surroundings. Some had lost limbs; others had gained more. Some were skin and bones; others were missing said organs. One had all his skin burnt to a gruesome black, yet was somehow alive, muttering pleas of mercy to no one.
Three of the team quietly set about ending their lives peacefully. One forged on stoically, searching for any coherent prisoners that had not endured human experimentation yet. Not a single one of them was untouched physically. Shaking his head, the ninja stopped in front of the last occupied cell, a nude girl manacled within. She had squeezed her eyes shut, although judging by the amount of blood caking her left eye, she only had one good ocular organ left.
Methodically, Naruto cut the lock mechanism of the cell door to pieces. Striding in, he noted that the girl had shrunk into herself, obviously terrified of his presence. With precision, he sliced the metal that bound her wrists to the ceiling to pieces, and caught her weakened body as she fell towards the ground. Stunned, the girl's lone eye flew open, blinking as she tried to register the unexpected situation.
"My name is Naruto, and I'm here to help," the blond murmured, recognising his fellow blonde. "What's your name?"
"L-Lucy," she whimpered.
"Do you have any friends outside of the city?" Naruto asked kindly.
She wrapped her right arm around her bosom and cupped her groin with her left, shielding them from sight as much as possible. She glared at the man who freed her, her lips pressed into a firm line. Naruto nodded approvingly. "You have a good head on your shoulders. You don't need to trust me with that information. But if I get you out of the city, can you find your way back to your friends?"
Lucy hesitated, before nodding affirmatively. The shinobi pulled out a crimson coat from a storage fūin, draping it over the naked woman's shoulders. She quickly pulled on the edges of the garment, hiding her body from view. The injured girl shrugged off Naruto's helping hand as she tried to stand on her own feet, but the long hours of being forced to tiptoe uncomfortably meant she could only manage a single step before nearly falling.
Naruto simply swept her up into his arms, ignoring her embarrassed squeak of protest. As he stepped out of the cell, he paused, staring distantly at the ceiling. Biting his lip, he shook his head and walked towards the rest of his team. The real me will have to sort it out.
Lucy gawked at the team of identical men as they prepared to leave the dungeons. "Are you quadruplets?"
"No, it's a spell," the Naruto carrying her replied matter-of-factly. "I hope you don't mind us taking the sewers for your escape. I don't fancy above ground escapes, not with all the fighting upstairs."
"It's fine," the blonde agreed, seemingly regaining some vigour. She gazed at the bodies of the two guards, blood pouring from slit throats. Swallowing thickly, she poked the black-clad man carrying her. "Did you have to kill them?"
"We didn't intend to, but they are obviously complicit with the…experimentations," another Naruto spat in disgust, thumbing a body in a cell.
She turned green as she finally noticed the corpses. "Will you kill the guy who did this?"
"We should be doing it right now," the man answered grimly.
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The room trembled and rocked as dull booms echoed beyond the four walls in Byro's office. The aged man frowned as the shaking disrupted his work, the text he was working on rendered garbled and unintelligible. He grumbled and tore the paper off his typewriter, crumpling up the document and tossing it into the bin.
The room quaked once more, this time hard enough to knock several ornaments off a shelf. Coco shrieked and dived beneath a table, hugging her knees to her chest and squeezing her eyes shut. The wizened Chief of Staff glared at the huddled form of his frightened assistant, muttering under his breath as he inserted a clean sheet of paper into his typewriter.
"That Knightwalker better be dealing with that shit right now, or heads will roll," the balding man groused.
"She's actually contributing to 'that shit', as you put it," a voice uttered cheerfully behind him. "But I suppose you could also say that she's dealing with the situation."
Byro turned his head around to look up at the man who stepped through the shadows behind his high-backed armchair. Coco choked on a scream as the man spared her a dismissive glance, before matching Byro's stare, a speculative gleam in the aged man's eyes. The diminutive man scoffed derisively, before turning back to his typewriter.
"Save your intimidation for weaklings like Coco. I'm too old for your lame scare tactics," the man deadpanned.
He leaned downwards surreptitiously, and quick as lightning, he hurled a glass vial at the blond intruder. But instead of smashing into the man's face and splashing him with combustible liquid, the trespasser merely cupped a hand around the vial as he caught it deftly. Making a show of studying the liquid within, the blond man ignored Byro as he leapt out of his seat in haste, clutching vials with variegated liquids to his chest.
The right hand man of Faust smirked nastily as he hurled the liquid from a vial, veritable cyclones springing from the mass of fluid that spilled out of the glass container. The miniature jet streams howled as they tore across the narrow space, scattering everything in their path. Just as they were about to hit the man, he snapped his fingers, dispersing the tornadoes into mere wisps that ruffled Coco's floppy green hat.
Before Byro could throw another mysterious liquid at the invader, the man felt a tremendous blow to his chest that sent him rocketing across the room, smashing bonelessly into an antique desk. The desk exploded into smithereens, and the wizened man crumpled to the ground in a sea of splinters. The blond was standing where he stood moments before, somehow catching the vials before they fell to the floor.
"These are interesting. Thanks for the gift," the man chirped, as the vials disappeared into thin air. "Oh dear, I've been quite rude, haven't I? You've given me such a nice welcoming present, and I haven't even introduced myself. Name's Uzumaki Naruto."
"I…don't give…a fuck what your name is," Byro wheezed, trying to regain his breath.
"Well, in that case, I couldn't give a fuck about your life either."
A knife darted through the air, too fast for Byro to see. It pierced through his throat cleanly, thudding into the wall behind the man. Blood spurted in a thick spray from the hole in his neck as Byro scrabbling at the wound helplessly. Crimson stained his robes as he flopped on the ground, a pool of fluids spreading beneath his body. He died with a whimper; a scratchy gurgle that was lost in the sounds of battle outside. The intruder watched on passively, unmoved by the slow and agonising death that he caused.
Coco trembled in horror, scuttling backwards until her back hit the wall. The man named Naruto grabbed the table she was hiding underneath, and lifted it away with a single hand, exposing the tiny girl. She sobbed piteously as she covered her head with her arms, shaking like a leaf in a storm. But instead of her death, she received only a gentle pat to her cloth-covered head.
"Don't worry, little one. You're not my quarry," the man whispered. "I'm sorry you had to see that."
Coco chanced a peek between her arms, the blond's face directly in front of hers. She snapped her eyes shut, shivering as she pushed herself further into the wall. The warm breath of a sigh washed against her exposed forearms, before a calloused finger brushed over the skin on her left arm. The brunette shuddered in fear, peeing involuntarily as the last vestiges of her courage fled.
"Sleep."
Her consciousness followed suit.
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Cana's eyes darted about the area, cataloguing everything in sight as she tried to figure out a strategy to fight the Edolas equivalent of possibly the strongest man in Fairy Tail. She took careful note of the metal hilts of the hunting knives he strapped to his belt, trying desperately to figure out the strange build of the blades. Gildarts seem content to let her make her plans, an easy smile perched on his lips. His twitching fingers belied his excitement, and Cana only dreaded what the man might be able to do besides melt metal with his crazy gauntlets.
Mind made up, the brunette launched a barrage of cards at the armoured man, who let the innocuous looking items fly at him. Tilting his head this way and that, he dodged the ones aimed for his head, and simply batted aside the rest with his meaty hands. The cards scored tiny nicks on the metal of his gauntlets, which seemed to impress the man a little.
The Card Magic user didn't relent, throwing another set of cards. This time, Gildarts frowned at the use of the same tactics, and he cocked his right arm back, the gauntlet becoming red hot. The two cards suddenly stopped in mid flight, levitating before him. The man punched forwards just as the cards glowed and unleashed their magic, a tsunami of water bursting out from the magical items. The pressure wave that emanated from his fist parted the water but could do nothing to stop the huge volume of liquid from engulfing the man and carrying him down the passageway.
Cana chased after him, sparing quick glances at the soldiers scattered around them. Brandishing more cards, she flicked them towards the ceiling. Explosions bigger than the ones she had used before shook the hallway, sending rubble raining down between her fight with Gildarts and the unfortunate soldiers instructed to guard the palace. Her moment of concern for the innocent left her almost unable to dodge the smoking fist that nearly took her head off. Sliding under the brown-haired man, she slapped two cards on his inner thighs and rolled with the momentum of the explosions.
Her smirk of triumph was soon washed away as the smoke from the blast revealed the man was practically unharmed. Only his clothes were blown to bits, but his skin remained flawless.
"What the fuck?!" Cana swore, dipping into her bag once more.
Gildarts chuckled, a mad gleam in his eyes. "I needed something to protect me from the heat of my gauntlets. Byro obliged. Prisoners are cheap and abundant for…tests."
Ignoring the terrifying implications of his words, Cana slammed two cards on the ground. Immediately, the floor beneath Gildarts turned to a thick, sticky mud that the man sank into. Not wasting a moment, the brunette retrieved three more cards to add to the two previous ones. The interrogator watched in faint amusement as a massive golem rose from the mud he was trapped within. The gigantic magical construct roared, raising its clasped fists and hammering down on Gildarts with concussive force. Mud splattered everywhere as the Edolas native disappeared in the thick muck.
The mud golem didn't stop, grunting as it continued to assault the man with its powerful fists. Nine cards flew from Cana's hands, the magical items soaring with a mind of their own as they surrounded the magical swamp. Thick blue lines of magic connected the cards, and golden panes of energy sprung up between those lines, forming an isolating barrier. With a final flourish, the alcoholic slapped her palms together, the two cards between her hands initialising the torrents of water that burst out within the barrier, flooding the impenetrable field until it was completely filled with liquid.
The mud had been churned up by the water, and Cana could only see brown within the barrier. Her heart beat out a rapid fire tune in her chest as she crouched by the cards on the floor, wondering how long it would take to drown a mage of Gildarts' calibre.
Her barrier shattered like brittle glass, muddy waters splashing to the ground as gravity took hold. Cana cursed as she judiciously retreated, hurling cards at the man drenched in sludge. The cards flew to a halt just before the brown-haired man, and unleashed twin beams of lightning from their centre. Gildarts threw his arms up, the lightning striking his gauntlets and electrifying them but nothing more. He strode up to the cards and crushed the magical items with his fists, tossing them aside. His fists crackled with lightning Cana inadvertently granted him, and the brunette swallowed.
The man clapped his hands, a massive bolt of lightning discharging from the impromptu move. Cana yelped as she hastily threw a dozen cards into the air, forming a golden shield that the lightning bounced off. A gauntleted fist punched straight through the shield moments later, Cana slapping a card on the offending limb as she ducked beneath it. She grunted as a heavy foot collided with her abdomen, careening away from the force of the blow. Gildarts chased after her, but hellfire erupted from beneath his feet just as he passed over a card.
The white hot blaze didn't affect his stride, and the exploding cards only hampered his vision as he rampaged through the hallway chasing Cana. A maniacal grin was permanently etched on his face as he blew through everything Cana threw at him. Then, all of a sudden, he stopped in his tracks, confusion written on his features. He glared murderously at the woman who stood proudly before him.
"Everything is…the wrong way around…" he muttered, clutching his head in frustration. "What…what did you DO TO ME?!"
Cana let out a laugh, relief clear in her voice. "If I told you exactly what I did, then you'll find a way to counter it. I can't believe you even blew through the combination I made for Naruto-nii. Guess it's not going to work against him either."
She fired a barrage of cards at Gildarts once more, and the man moved to dodge once more. But this time, instead of moving away from the cards, his body responded completely opposite of what he wanted it to do, moving his head right into the path of the cards. Realising his mistake, he suppressed all his instincts and threw himself in the wrong direction, a lone card slicing through his steel-like skin and cut off his ear. The pink cartilage fell to the ground with a soft plop, blood trickling down the side of his face. The brown-haired man clutched at where his right ear once was, a terrible rising wail escaping his lips.
"FUCK! FUCK! F-FUCK YOU!" Gildarts screamed, sounding unhinged as his pupils narrowed into tiny pinpricks. "I'LL KILL YOU!"
The man's gauntlets turned white hot instantly, the effect akin to lightning as a bright flash blinded an unprepared Cana. Microseconds later, a clap of thunder deafened her, her own scream going unheard. Disorientated and robbed of sight and sound, Cana stumbled backwards, her balance disrupted by the incessant tinnitus in her ears. The ground shook violently the next moment, the brunette's leg falling into a yawning fissure in the floor. She fell to her bum ungracefully, reaching for her bag and grabbing whatever she could. She tossed the item blindly, but she had no idea if it even hit anything. Blind and deaf, she could only wait and hope that Gildarts was still as incapacitated as she was.
Her hopes were dashed as the hot metal of his gauntlet was planted on the crown of her head, yanking her out of the crevice by her hair. Cana threw punches wildly at where she figured the man was, but her fists bounced off metal and skin alike. Her knuckles bled as she scored ineffectual hits on her enemy, and she was soon rewarded with the cold steel of a knife buried in her gut. The cold metal of the blade suddenly turned unbearably hot, and Cana howled as her flesh was seared from within.
Gildarts ripped out the weapon roughly, eliciting another cry from Cana as the grievous wound bled freely. He tapped her face with the still hot metal of his knife, then tapped her right ear twice, a wordless taunt of what was to come. He was deliberately rough as he slowly sawed through the cartilage of her auricle, the cuts jagged and ragged. The brunette screamed her throat hoarse as the sadist took his time, her frenzied punches only hurting her more than him. Warm liquid poured freely from the wound, drenching her face, neck and shoulders with her own blood.
She was tossed onto the ground as her right ear came off, her head bouncing off the rubble forcefully. Unbidden, a bitter chuckle escaped her lips, one she could barely hear. This is the end, huh? Killed by my dad from a parallel dimension. I never even got to tell him about it. Hope Naruto-nii keeps it to himself. No need to get the old man even more upset over my death.
…I wonder if he'll be proud of me.
Her eyes shut.
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Gildarts dropped the girl he had been mangling with a frown, his knife flashing up to stab the interloper who interfered with his revenge. The man burst into a cloud of smoke, which hid the second copy of the man flying straight at him. The brown-haired interrogator was lifted off his feet as the blond smashed his shoulder into his cuirass, and he quickly retaliated by stabbing down at the enemy's back with his knives. The blond man disappeared into smoke once more, and Gildarts looked up to find a booted foot in his face.
His nose broke with a wet snap as he was launched across the wide hallway he had been battling the brunette in, stars spotting his vision. But he still had the presence of mind to fire off another flash-bang using his gauntlets, buying him precious seconds to gather himself. Those precious seconds were not enough however, as two hands slapped the sides of his head with the force of a bomb, discombobulating him. A rising kick cracked his jawbone and several teeth as they clacked against each other, before a spinning kick took his breath from his chest and blasted him away.
The brown-haired man dug his heels into the ground, carving out shallow trenches as he brought a halt to his flight. To his surprise, his opponent had temporarily ceased his assault, tending to the girl he had just brutalised. Before he could goad the man however, a twin of the blond manifested from thin air, picking the girl up into his arms with utmost care and bounded off in the opposite direction.
"You'll be joining her soon enough," Gildarts sneered nasally, twisting his nose back into place with a moist crunch. He wiped the blood trickling from his nostril, spitting out a broken tooth. "You took away little missy's cellmate and my plaything. That's unacceptable, unacceptable!"
"You can repeat your boasts after you beat me," the blond replied coolly, two knives appearing in his hands like magic.
Gildarts charged forwards in glee, thrilled that someone strong enough to break his skin would engage him with his favourite kind of fight. The delighted, crazed grin he wore on his lips soon faded as his opponent merely tossed the knives at him. Snarling in disappointment, the muscular man batted the throwing weapons aside with nary a glance. The daggers suddenly transformed into facsimiles of the blond, firing a barrage of knives at him from both sides at point blank range. Wary after the girl had cut his ear off, Gildarts stopped his charge and launched himself backwards, just in time as the knives scored deep gouges in his cuirass.
The doppelgängers landed nimbly on the ground, the clone on his left suddenly wielding a broken zanbatō and slashing at him. Gildarts allowed himself to fall on his back, the piercing whistle of compressed, nigh invisible winds passing over his head ominously. He kicked out at the shins of the two clones, the right one dispersing into a familiar cloud of smoke while the left one danced out of the way, aiming to strike at the offending appendage immediately after. The brown-haired man pulled his leg back swiftly to avoid dismemberment, firing an air punch in response.
Gauntlets white hot, the superheated air formed a pressure blast that the man met with an open palm. The blast dissipated harmlessly, merely ruffling the clothes of the enemy with hot air. Gildarts took the opportunity to scramble to his feet, but instead of putting distance between them, the brown-haired man barrelled forwards, cackling in delight. Faster than his bulk might suggest, he was too close to the man for his zanbatō to be of any use. His knife flashed towards the man's liver, only to be batted away by a slap to his wrist as the blond dropped the broken blade.
The blond then stepped into his range, punching his shoulder with bone shattering force. Gildarts merely smiled maliciously, dropping his own knives and grabbing the left forearm of his enemy before he could pull back. His nose was broken by a powerful head butt just as he turned up the heat once more, rendering him unable to fully appreciate the pungent odour of sizzling flesh. He snagged the other arm of the blond as the man tried to jab his throat, but a blade of wind suddenly sprouted from the blond's hand, just about brushing Gildarts' throat before the sadist managed to throw his opponent away from him.
The black-clad man pushed forwards, smacking Gildarts' arms away from his torso and planting a rising knee in his gut. A dagger materialised in the blond's good hand as he stabbed downwards, halted in his assault by a clap of thunder. Dazed, he swung the dagger as he stumbled backwards, before an electrified, white hot gauntlet met his chest with crunching force. The cerulean-eyed man careened away, a black imprint of Gildarts' punch visible on his bare chest.
The pain took a while to register with his sky high adrenaline levels, but when it did, Gildarts instinctually looked down. He stared with morbid fascination as his coiled intestines threatened to spill out of him, blood pouring out of the massive cavity his enemy had carved into his body with a wild slash. Pinching the gory wound close, he sealed the torn flesh with his gauntlets, leaving a smoking scar where the cut had been.
Raising his head, he was greeted by a literal tsunami of clones, crashing into him with reckless abandon. The interrogator laughed gleefully as he retaliated against the horde, his fists a bright blur as he blew apart the copies with obvious relish. But the clones were just as skilled as their creator even if they were all hampered by the arm he had burnt to a black, blistering crisp. Their numbers were not being reduced quick enough, forcing Gildarts on the back foot, retreating even as he went on the offensive, edging closer and closer to the wall of rubble that the brunette had created earlier.
Growling, Gildarts ducked under a wind-coated knife hand that nearly scalped him, smashing both fists into the floor at an angle. The floor in front of him was turned to rubble in an instant, the clones in front of him all falling to the basement levels and dispelling in a cacophony of pops. His heart thudded strangely in his chest as a sudden bout of dizziness struck him, but it was quickly shaken off.
Straightening slowly, the brown-haired man gazed at his opponent, his charred arm wrapped by a swathe of bandages that were inundated with faintly glowing runes. But curiously, the blond was crouched on the ground, panting heavily with blood trickling out of his nostrils.
Revitalised, Gildarts cleared the massive hole in the ground with a single leap. His feet cratered the floor as he landed, his arrival greeted with a barrage of oily, brown bullets that splattered against his skin harmlessly. Laughing at its ineffectualness, the sadist lit his gauntlets up. The sticky, foul substance ignited instantly, turning him into a walking blaze. But it deterred him little.
"My skin is immune to fire!" the man chortled, as the flames raged on. "How else can I use my gauntlets that reach the heat of lightning?!"
He kicked at the immobile man, the blond letting out a low grunt as he was punted backwards, completely unable to retaliate for some reason. Gildarts ambled up to the prostrate blond, grinning all the while. "I have to admit, you've given me the best fight I've had in years. I don't think I've ever been injured this badly before!"
He leaned down, grabbing the azure-eyed man by his throat and lifting him off his feet. He leaned in close, bloodied teeth unveiled in a menacing smile. "But it's the end of the line for you, buddy. Will you scream for me?"
Gildarts grabbed at his holster with his free hand, coming up empty. Looking down, he found nothing at his waist, clucking his tongue as he suddenly recalled having dropped his knives earlier in the battle. As he looked up, he suddenly found himself rather light-headed. Shaking his head only worsened the condition, causing him to see threes of everything. His heartbeat was erratic. His breath came shorter, shallower. His eyes felt uncomfortably dry as he blinked rapidly, befuddled by the odd situation.
In the next instant, he was flying across the gap in the ground once more. His body smashed into the makeshift wall of rubble painfully, bouncing off the debris and crumpling to the floor with a soft thump. The abdominal wound he sealed earlier had opened again, and fresh blood poured out in a grisly waterfall. A shadow fell over his slumped form, and he looked up at the haggard blond, in his hand a swirling blue ball of energy. The sphere dissipated right after, and Gildarts wondered if he dreamt it.
"I have to say, I'm impressed. I used the most powerful cardiotoxin I could create but you still wouldn't die," the man commented tiredly. "I guess the dose was too small or your constitution is too stupidly strong."
"You…poisoned…me?" the brown-haired man coughed, his throat itching fiercely.
"It didn't work like I planned. But it seems even you aren't immune to oxygen deprivation," the cerulean-eyed man explained. "Your skin may be impervious to fire, but fire burns the oxygen that you need."
"It…worked…" Gildarts groaned, his vision a blur. "My…heart…beat…s'all…weird…"
"Not quick enough then. I guess I need more practice," the blond quipped, his words a mere whisper to Gildarts' ears. Dimly, the Edolas native registered the blond raising his broken zanbatō. "I've never tried this before. I hope you have enough blood for me."
I hope not, the man retorted childishly.
Cold steel pierced his chest.
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Naruto grimaced as he pulled Kubikiribōchō out of the burning corpse, the blade barely regaining any length. Resigning himself to having to kill a lot more living creatures to repair the great sword, the man slowly limped away from the body of the Gildarts of Edolas. He shut his eyes as he dug into his chakra reserves, and a Kawarimi swapped him with one of the knives that Gildarts had left behind on the other side of the corridor.
Vertigo threatened to overwhelm him, and he nearly stumbled over his own feet. A litany of curses burst from his lips, a colourful vernacular that he picked up from his days frequenting seedy bars in various guises. He stopped moving just to breathe, inhaling and exhaling slowly in an effort to reduce the giddiness. But the earth trembled as giant footsteps resounded through the hallway, threatening to destabilise his footing once more.
He walked towards the wall of the corridor, planting a hand against the vertical surface and moaned as more clones dispelled, feeding even more information to his overworked brain. Swallowing back the nausea, Naruto tapped the wall he had leaned against, the masonry falling outwards to form a perfectly circular hole. Naruto stepped into one of many massive courtyards within the palace, glancing at the massive destruction that Mira and Erza's fight had wrought on the upper levels of the palace.
Building his chakra, he leaned back and let his wind carry his challenge throughout the palace. "Faust."
One of the palace wings surrounding the courtyard was instantly destroyed as a humongous beam of magic blasted through it. A massive metal monster lumbered through the gap, beady eyes locked on the puny figure that was Naruto. The silver beast roared in response to Naruto's challenge, and a panel opened on its back, a torrent of missiles pouring out of their launchers and smashing into their target. Faust cackled triumphantly as the missiles exploded, sending plumes of smoke rising into the sky.
"You are just a man who brought along two little girls and my idiotic son," Faust sneered dismissively from within the killing machine. "Whereas I brought Dorma Anim to the fight. Did you really think you stood a chance against me?"
The smoke cleared as a sudden gust blew through the courtyard, revealing Naruto unharmed. He stood within a pockmarked crater, shielded by a cylindrical blue barrier that shimmered in the afternoon sun. "Did you think I'll attempt a coup d'état with four people if I didn't think I could succeed?"
"What you think you can do doesn't matter," Faust pontificated. "The only opinion here that matters is MINE!"
The giant machine stomped over towards the blond, throwing a car-sized fist into the thin barrier. The ground around the barrier cracked and splintered, but the shield stood firm. Bristling with sensors, Faust was immediately informed that he was under attack, just before a jet of flaming oil was blasted into Dorma Anim's face from above. Visibility was immediately reduced to zero, and the king of Edolas responded by making the death machine leap into the sky, before peppering the ground beneath with massive bolts of fire. Even more of the palace was reduced to rubble as Dorma Anim landed with an earthshaking thud, wipers moving furiously to remove the sticky gunk that jammed its cameras.
Suddenly, the ground beneath a foot gave way, the machine sinking into mud. Dorma Anim tried to raise its foot out of the quagmire, hands and tail pushing against the ground to lift itself out of the trap. Faust flipped switches and mashed buttons desperately, growling under his breath. The sound of gears grinding and mechanical parts whirling filled the courtyard as the metallic beast finally dug its leg out of the swamp, and its wipers had cleared much of the oil as well, even if it left an oily smudge that made it hard to see anything more than vague shapes.
Faust swapped over to infrared sensors instead, and he spotted Naruto in an instant. To Faust's incredulity, the man was hovering in midair with no apparent support. Stunned, he quickly rotated through his various sensors, and crowed in success when he engaged the pressure gauges. Naruto was encased in an immensely high pressure area shaped in a humanoid form, a gigantic avatar of wind that stood equal to Dorma Anim. The king of Edolas almost felt threatened by this turn of events, but his life sensors reassured him.
"You think you can match me with your giant of wind?" the greying man scorned, his glee rising with every health statistic he could read of the blond. "You're DYING, and I haven't even started!"
"I was overzealous when creating my clones," Naruto responded collectedly. "But if you think that you have an advantage simply because I'm injured, you have another thing coming for you."
Barbs exchanged, metal and wind lurched forwards and clashed in a massive collision. Dorma Anim opened its mouth, the cannon within firing a beam of magic at the heart of the wind avatar. The giant construct skipped out of the way with nimble ease, before raising its arms into the sky. A skyscraper-sized katana manifested in its hands, and slashed at its metal nemesis. Faust was about to laugh at the futility of such action when the blade of compressed energies tore cleanly through the shoulder of Dorma Anim's left arm. Deprived of vision and far less agile, Faust barely managed to move the rest of Dorma Anim's out of the way, sacrificing its left arm as it strafed to the right.
How did he…
Faust urged the machine to lumber backwards, unleashing a volley of missiles that exploded in midair in front of Dorma Anim like a makeshift shield. The fumes from the explosions made for a decent smokescreen to buy time as the wizened man readied his trump card. The near invisible blade of wind slashed through the smoke, the tip scoring a deep trench in the metallic torso of Dorma Anim. Faust counterattacked, the machine twirling to send its tail whipping towards the little red dot that represented Naruto.
The construct of wind blocked the tail as its hand turned into a flat disc, before transforming back into a hand and latching on to the appendage. The katana dissipated as well, allowing Naruto to grab Dorma Anim with both hands and swing it into what's left of the palace. The metallic beast dug its heels into the earth, before its head twisted 180 degrees and fired a blast of magic right at the chest of the wind avatar.
The massive wind construct crouched to avoid the blast, and sprung forwards, its palm slamming into Dorma Anim's jaw and snapping its mouth shut. Faust hurriedly ended the blast, but it was too late. The suddenly closed jaw meant that the powerful energies had nowhere to go, the head of the metallic beast exploding spectacularly. Half of Dorma Anim's snout was blown to smithereens, the cannon similarly wrecked. The metal menace swung its good hand at the wind avatar, but cut through air, completely missing the tiny figure in its core.
A barrage of missiles burst from the metallic creature's back, flying straight at Naruto from point blank range. The missiles hit the chakra-fuelled winds, only to find their flight diverted. Despite the homing capabilities of the projectiles, the missiles simply could not force themselves through the buffeting gales, flight paths disrupted until they fell impotently to the ground.
The humanoid avatar wavered suddenly, allowing Faust to steer Dorma Anim away from Naruto. The life signs of the man were weakening further, no doubt a consequence of the massive amounts of energy he had been using.
"I don't know how you managed to cut through Dorma Anim's anti-magic armour, but this is the end!" Faust roared, speakers on Dorma Anim crackling with static.
Smirking in glee, he took ruthless advantage of Naruto's worsening condition and fired another fusillade of missiles at the blond. The red figure in his infrared sights suddenly fell out of the sky, missiles tracking and gaining on him. Then, he burst into flight, soaring right towards Dorma Anim. He flew right at the torso of the machine, denting the metal as he crashed into it and stayed stuck to the metallic monster. Faust's eyes widened in horror as the missiles flew right at him, Dorma Anim too big to dodge the volley.
The missiles exploded upon impact, blowing the metal beast backwards. The tail slammed into the ground with great force, forcing the monstrous construct to stay upright. Despite the inherent strength and durability against magical and physical attacks of the alloy that Dorma Anim was composed of, the powerful missiles had torn out massive chunks of the armour and parts beneath, gouging a huge hole in the centre of the machine. Faust sat a mere metre above the damage, unharmed but with much of his critical electronics fried and unusable.
Faust pushed and pulled at his controls, grinding his teeth in frustration as Dorma Anim didn't even creak. Then, he screamed as an explosion of sparks erupted in his cockpit, the sounds of screeching metal masking his cries. Suddenly, sunlight hit his face from his left, as the left half of the machine slowly, almost comically fell away from its right half. He was sat inches away from the edge, clutching to his levers for his dear life. But with the tail anchoring the part of Dorma Anim he was in, there was no risk of the king of Edolas falling to his doom.
A different sort of doom faced him however, as a chain flew from below to wrap around his neck and his waist. Clutching at the cold metal links that tightened around his throat, he was dragged out of his cockpit and down to the ground. The aged man shut his eyes in fear, feeling the wind blowing past his face and his clothes. The monarch nearly hurled was brought to a sudden halt before he hit the ground, his organs protesting the instant stop that his body came to. Cracking open his eyes, he was met with a visibly exhausted Naruto.
"You will die today as I parade your body before your subjects," Naruto declared seriously. "Any last words?"
Faust spat in the blond's cerulean eyes. "Fuck you!"
"So be it."
A thin, almost invisible blade of wind sliced through his neck, and he knew no more.
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Citizens gathered in their modest numbers around the city square, anxiously awaiting the arrival of their Queen for an urgent announcement. It had been a strange request to all Exceed, for them to drop everything they had been doing to listen to the Queen's words. Every single soldier had been activated, going door to door to deliver the news. But their Queen was more than entitled to ask it of her people, and so they arrived in force, wondering what could be so urgent as to prompt such a demand.
Eventually, the white-furred Exceed walked out in her full regalia, looking extremely solemn. A hush fell over the gathered Exceed, all exchanging uncertain glances before the Queen began to speak.
"My people," Shagotte began gravely. "It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you of the truth. A truth that I have hidden from you for decades, a truth that will force us from our homes here in Extalia for new pastures in a different world."
A deafening roar greeted her words, the residents of Extalia a touch angry and more than a little baffled. Soldiers shouted at the protesting civilians, waving their weapons threateningly in an attempt to restore order. With all eyes on her, Shagotte raised her tiny paw, asking for silence. The hollering died down slowly, and she swallowed, gathering her courage as she continued.
"I know that it must be confusing for me to ask all of you to abandon everything you know, and move to a strange and possibly hostile land," the white-furred Exceed soothed. "But the truth is, the humans of Edolas have been planning to attack us for years. We have no choice but to leave if we wish to avoid genocide."
"But you are a god!" an errant voice yelled out. "Why should we fear the humans?!"
"I am no god," Shagotte confessed loudly, stunning everyone to silence. "I am a fraud, a con created to intimidate others. I have no powers, and I cannot kill humans, only predict their deaths. It is but an illusion of strength where there is none, in order to keep the humans from attacking and enslaving us. But they have been gathering strength for years in spite of their fear, and there is no better time to leave than now."
"But how do we leave? Where do we go?" an anguished cry sounded out.
Shagotte offered her citizens a small, hopeful smile. "We will leave by the Anima, to join the Exceed whom we had sent to the other world as eggs. The Elders and I have already made the necessary…arrangements, and the Anima should manifest later today, hence the urgency of my message. Please return to your homes quickly and gather only your most important items. When the Anima begins to take us to the other dimension, do not fear. I shall be with you, and we will overcome these trials together as a people, this I promise."
"Now go," the queen ordered. "There is no time to waste."
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The sudden explosions that rocked the palace were scary enough. To see the beautiful, majestic centre of the Royal City decimated was frightening to the civilians who had gazed upon the monarchy with much love for their efforts to enrich people's lives with magic. But to then see a giant storm cloud in the sky first taking wisps of magic, then devouring it voraciously was even more terrifying.
Afraid and confused, the citizens from the edges of the city flocked towards the palace, hoping for answers. But instead of answers, all they found was smoke and ruins, accompanied by fellow men and women who were just as bewildered. There were no palace guards to maintain order, no leaders to speak up and ease the worried minds of the people. But just as the growing weight of numbers threatened to tear down the walls into the palace, a figure emerged from a balcony above the masses.
It was an Exceed, with orange fur and a bulky, muscular physique, much like the respected Pantherlily who led the 1st Magic War Division. His head was topped with a mop of black, unruly hair, erect ears poking through the mess. Dressed in scarred battle armour, his presence conveyed strength and demanded respect. Almost instantly, the restlessness amongst the people was quelled, their obedience to the magic-wielding creatures rising above their anxiety over the situation.
"Humans of Edolas," the Exceed began, his magically enhanced voice loud and clear despite the distance between him and the people. "For decades, our race has guided our shared world through times of prosperity and peace. We have struck mutually beneficial accords with your king, Faust of Edolas. The magic you enjoy, and the magic you currently see being taken away, were our generous terms to your king. Anima was a technology vested to humans by us, and your king not only claims the credit, but he has also spat upon our magnanimity."
Shaking his head imperiously, the orange-furred creature continued his spiel. "All these years, we have tolerated his transparent attempts to take more magic than was allotted in our original negotiations. The Exceed had little need for more than what was necessary, but Faust continued to take and take, assuming our inaction equated to tacit agreement. We have stood on the periphery regarding this issue for too long, and we will now retake what is rightfully ours. I have also carried out the queen's orders, and meted out Faust's punishment accordingly."
Gasps of horror echoed through the streets of the Royal City as the Exceed held up Faust's head by his long white locks, the neck still dripping with barely congealed blood. The severed head was tossed into the crowd, and citizens screamed as it hit the ground with a meaty splat. The Exceed sneered down at the fearful humans, folding his arms.
"We have taken Anima back, and erased all traces of the technology from the walls of this ugly human establishment," the black-haired cat declared, waving generally at the destruction behind him. "Faust has expended our faith in humans, and frankly, we tire of dealing with your egoistical race. The Exceed shall leave Edolas with the magic that belongs to us rightfully, and leave you humans to your own devices. Be glad that you now have the opportunity to rule Edolas with our departure."
The humans could only watch dumbly as rivers of magical energy carried the Exceed into the skies, joining his brethren as they soared into the massive swirling portal above their head. Distantly, they could see Extalia descending towards the ground, an empty husk bereft of life and magic.
Then, there was pandemonium.
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Fairy Tail members poured out of the guild hall, bemused eyes following the streams of magic leaving every item they had, coalescing into a thick river of energies that rose into the sky towards a localised storm above their heads.
"Shit, what the hell is going on?" Levy shouted. "Is this one of the Royal Army's tricks?"
"I'm scared…" Natsu whimpered, hugging his knees to his chest as he slumped to the ground despondently. "I miss Lucy…"
"Oh, for crying out loud!" Levy growled, kicking the pink-haired driver. "Honestly, how can a man be so bloody spineless?"
"He can't help it," Wendy drawled. "He's too well trained."
That only made Levy angrier, and she started lashing out at Natsu, who looked far too comfortable with the abuse to be right in the mind. The usual commotion that overtook Fairy Tail was in full swing when Mira called out unsurely.
"…Lisanna?"
Heads spun towards the source of the voice, standing beside Elfman and Lisanna. The latter was enveloped in a blue glow, and slowly floating towards the sky with the streams of magic escaping the world. The girl was in panic, waving her arms about frantically. "It's not what you think it is, Mira-nee, Elf-nii!"
"We know, Lisanna," the eldest Strauss smiled tenderly, her hands grasping Lisanna's. "We know."
"You knew? You knew all this time?" the girl hiccuped, unwilling to let go. Elfman placed his hands around his sisters', even as Lisanna's legs started to lift beyond her shoulders. "Then why didn't you say a thing?"
"You put on a brave face and stayed for our sake," Mirajane replied softly. "How could we not do the very same for you? But it's time for you to go back, to the other Mirajane and Elfman."
"Mira-nee! Elf-nii!" Lisanna sobbed. "I love you!"
"We love you too!" Elfman shouted as loud as he dared, Lisanna's hands slipping from theirs as the pull of Anima became too strong. He wiped the tears from his eyes, the waterworks mirrored in his siblings. "We'll always love you, Lisanna!"
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An invisible barrier shattered as Anima exerted its inexorable draw on all magic. In a small tent on the outskirts of the Royal City, a nondescript piece of paper inscribed with seals peeled off the chest of a young man. Blinking groggily, the blue-haired mage groaned as he sat up, holding his throbbing head. Stumbling out of the makeshift shelter, he froze when he noticed the distinct absence of other people.
Spinning around, he growled in exasperation as magic flowed out of the tent exit, his eyes following the stream as it slithered towards the swirling storm in the sky. Bursting back into the tent, he resisted the urge to slap his forehead as he watched the magic flow out of his staves. A small envelope sat on his holstered weapons, the flap fluttering incessantly. Dread filled his veins as he walked over to the innocuous looking letter, and he was surprised to find his hands shaking as he withdrew the note from its confines.
Jellal,
I'm sorry for doing this to you, but it was necessary. There are already people know of your association to me, and we cannot afford to let anyone see you during the mission. I had to ensure your name was as clean as possible, otherwise your ascension would be more difficult than it already is. The sorry business of ending your father's life is also something better left to me. You will naturally claim it is your responsibility, but you deserve better than to stain your hands red with the blood of kin. I simply couldn't abide by that.
If all goes well, the Royal City should now be bereft of a king, of magic, and of order. I have already seeded your name into the minds of the citizens, and you only need appear in their midst for them to clamour for your ascension. Do not claim the throne unilaterally. As we have discussed, it is best for the people to want your leadership, than to snatch the crown and raise suspicions. Remember the story we have spun. Blame the Exceed as vehemently as you can.
I will not be here to help change the minds of the soldiers, of the personnel who have worked on Anima, of the sceptics who suspect a conspiracy. I can only do my best to eliminate as many obstacles to your ascension within the short time I have in Edolas. The rest is up to you.
As farewells go, this is rather insincere. I wish I could recite to you the three rules of leaving Fairy Tail in person, but this will have to do.
One, never reveal sensitive information about the guild for as long as you live. Two, never use the contacts you've found while in the guild for personal gain. Three, though our paths need diverge, live your life with all your might, never consider yourself insignificant, and remember your friends for as long as you live.
I am enormously proud to be your teacher, but I've regretted it as well. I regret turning you into a recluse, hiding the truth from the people you should be most honest to. I hope your kingship will allow you to grow and experience the bonds you've never truly built in Fairy Tail.
There is always more to say, things that should have been said long ago. But there is no more time, so I'll keep this short. Take care, Jellal, and lead your people with love and pride.
Goodbye, and godspeed.
- Naruto
Tears welled in his dark eyes as they skimmed the text, salty droplets striking the letter and smudging the ink. He choked back the tears as he finished reading the message, stepping out of the tent to gaze at the Anima hovering above the Royal City. A sad smile spread across his features as the man scrubbed his tears away with his forearm, the letter clutched tightly in his fist.
Goodbye…dad.
Author's Notes: Yes, you didn't read wrongly. I made Naruto a Dragon Slayer.
I'm sure there are some stories with a 2nd generation DragonSlayer!Naruto, but mine is probably the first that took the lacrima off a canon character instead of creating a new one. So I'd like to think I'm being original here.
Naruto can't use Cobra's moves because he doesn't know them. As for why Naruto 'sucked' at using poisons, he only just started using them. It did work against several other people including the guy at the bar, in case you missed the reference in the Cana scene right after. As for how, Naruto poisoned Gildarts through the exposed wound of his severed ear.
I considered killing Cana, because that'll show Mira that going to Edolas was incredibly dangerous and Naruto was 'justified' in delaying rescuing Lisanna for years, as well as trying to do it by himself. There's also a morbid symmetry with Naruto losing a sister and Mirajane regaining hers. But that's not sufficient to justify a character death IMO, and Naruto's suffered enough, so I stopped at mutilation. Not that that sounds any better…
I'm not super satisfied with my fight scenes this time, but I hope you guys enjoyed them. I hope Mira and Cana were kickass enough, and Gildarts was strong enough. Earthland!Gildarts has the raw power to obliterate a mountain, but Edolas!Gildarts is limited by what his gauntlets can do. Forgive my questionable use of physics; I felt it fit my ideas of Edolas being more technologically advanced/inclined than Earthland, but it still requires some suspension of disbelief.
This effectively marks the end of the Edolas arc. The ending is not super original compared to canon, but none of my other ideas were any better. The arc is terribly limiting because of the governance element. Trying to create an ending where Mystogan can rule without suspicion was an exercise in frustration. I wanted to finish the arc with as few loose ends as possible, otherwise I'll need to write an Edolas Gaiden just to deal with the ugly political aftermath.
So I ended up with this. Everything else just screamed 'ridiculously convenient circumstances' to me. It even forced me to write Naruto's letter, a plot device that I have no fondness for.
P.S. Mashima-sensei just challenged my ability to stomach his manga with chapter 436 (and its preceding chapters TBH). Zeref's back-story came out of absolutely fuck nowhere, which just boggles my mind. How can you write something so important with zero narrative prompt? If it was when Zeref fights Natsu and talks about his past, fine. But this? Zeref just reminiscing randomly, after a completely pointless arc to showcase everyone's new jobs and Natsu's strength. UGH.
This, and everything post-Tenrō, and having to fix all the bloody inconsistencies in the Edolas arc, has seriously dimmed my opinion of Mashima-sensei. I'm so disgusted right now.
At least I can work this into La Tormenta.
P.P.S. I can't believe I forgot to bold all of Mira's speech when in Satan Soul. That's embarrassing. But you know what's even more embarrassing? I watched Mad Max: Fury Road and was shown more character development in 2 hours than La Tormenta has in 26 chapters, especially for female characters. I feel so inadequate and chauvinistic now.