Ladies and gentlemen, here we are. After over 47,000 views, 408 favorites and 517 follows, 15 separate uploads and 14 chapters, the last chapter of Seven Commandments Arc, dropping right now!
I have decided to continue writing the story, as the main plot points of this story have yet to fully bloom. Now, with Natsu and Erza's arc out of the way, I will be able to expand their bonds. So stay tuned for that. Next stop - Tenrou Island Arc. I will continue to write this story right here, so don't you go anywhere!
Without stretching it out any longer, enjoy the chapter!
Erza and Laxus braced themselves for Silva's charge, with the blonde trying to stay on his feet, which came with great difficulty.
"How do you stand with magic power?" asked him Erza.
"I'm running on fumes, I probably have just enough for one big hit." he replied
Erza clicked her tongue. "I'm not doing better myself. We have to get this over with quickly."
Behind the pair, Natsu desperately tried to get up, however his lack of any magic power in his body prevented him from doing so. Erza slightly turned her head in his direction.
"Don't force yourself, you can barely move. Try to rest."
Natsu panted quietly and lifted his head to look at the redhead. "Don't let him touch you." he wheezed out.
Erza nodded and turned back around to her opponent. She had absolutely no desire to have her magic stolen, but she had no other choice but to engage the man. Right now, she and Laxus were the only wall between life and death of everyone in the Tower.
Silva was now mere few meters away from them. His wounds and the aftershock of being hit by Laxus' lightning greatly slowed him down. Erza summoned a giant spear and threw it in Silva's direction, forcing the man to dodge it. Not even a second later, Laxus dropped to his knees and placed his hands on the floor, before electrocuting it and sending the sparks in the Commandment's direction. Forced to stop his charge, Silva jumped back and evaded the attack. While in the air, he noticed that Erza was no longer by the Dragon Slayer's side, and instead was in the air, directly above him. She clenched her sword as hard as she could and swinged it downwards, forcing Silva to put up his right arm to defend himself. Erza's blade made contact with his forearm, sinking into it, however nowhere near as deep as she anticipated. Suprised with his toughness, she tried to pull it out, only to feel that it was stuck. Before she could escape, she was struck in her right cheek by a powerful left hook from Silva, which rocked the knight and sent her flying towards the floor. Just before she could hit the ground, she flipped in the air and gracefully landed on her feet, sliding on the ground to kill the momentum, with Silva landing several feet away from her as well.
Erza spat out some blood to the side and wiped her mouth. "Is that enough, Laxus?"
Silva's eyes widened in suprise, as he heard weird crackling above him. When he looked up, he was met with the figure of a blonde-haired Dragon Slayer, his arms raised above his head, with an enormous ball of lightning held above his head.
"Yeah." he smirked, before bringing both his arms and the giant ball downwards, aiming it at Silva.
SECRET DRAGON SLAYER'S ART: SUN EMPEROR!
Silva was swallowed by a giant explosion of lightning, yellow light blinding everyone present on the floor. The floor beneath the man cracked into dozens of giant pieces, some of them standing up. Erza had no choice but cover her face to protect herself from the debris. Behind her, ignoring the ongoing battle, Juvia continued to work her magic in order to free Lucy from beneath a boulder that was on top of her. Carefully and slowly, she tried to lift the rock and prevent any additional damage to the blonde, and was now almost done. After couple more seconds, Juvia dropped the piece of debris aside, finally freeing the Celestial Mage. She then quickly got closer to the blonde and started to assess her damage, searching for anything serious.
"How is she?!" asked Erza, trying to be louder than the lightning.
After a short moment, Juvia replied. "I don't see anything serious, but she's unconscious!"
Erza took the news with a slight relief. She then shifted her attention back to the men, as Laxus' attack was finally over. He stood there, panting heavily, his eyes closing themselves out of exhaustion. He really gave it everything he had.
"Serves you right..." he wheezed out.
Not even a second later, Erza witnessed his body bending like a pocket knife and lifting off the ground, a large amount of blood escaping out of his mouth, as a fist planted itself deep into his stomach from inside the dust cloud. A moment later, the cloud dispelled, revealing an unscathed Silva, his face twisted in a quiet fury.
Unconscious, Laxus slid off Silva's fist and dropped onto his face before the Commandment, who condescendingly put his foot on the blonde's head, grinding it into the ground.
"Looks like you've finally learned your place." he said quietly, before putting his left hand up and catching Erza's strike from her Heaven's Wheel Armor with his bare hand, which shocked the woman. He then raised his hand and put it on her chest, before saying one word.
REPEL
Erza cried out in pain, as she flew backwards, her armor breaking into pieces. An excruciating pain took over her entire torso, leaving her unable to breathe. She landed on the ground and bounced off of it like a ball, before finally hitting a piece of debris with her back. She laid there, Silva's attack turning her into a gasping mess.
"How lucky you are, Erza Scarlet." she heard his voice and raised her head, sending him a hateful look. "Your The Knight would make a great addition to my collection. Fortunately for you, I'm out of space. If only I had met you two weeks earlier..."
The knight struggled to get up, but succeeded after a short moment. She could barely stand, but she couldn't give up. She was the only person left standing, and Juvia was too busy guarding the injured.
"Ahh!"
A cry of pain shook Erza right to the core, as she quickly snapped her head to the side. She felt her eyes widen in shock at the sight of Juvia slowly falling onto her face with blood gashing out of her now split back. Behind her stood a young woman with short brown hair, a sword in her right hand and a shield in her left, which she used to support her injured self.
Silva looked at the woman, his eyes narrowed. "Where have you been, Jolene?"
Jolene looked at her Master and gently bowed. "I had to give myself treatment after my battle, but I have now returned to your side,. to aid you in this battle."
Her entire body was covered in bandages, some of them bloodied. The cuts on her face were poorly stitched up, some of them still bleeding. She had a limp, which she supported with a giant shield in her left arm, as she stood above unconscious Juvia and Lucy, the rainwoman's blood still on her blade.
Erza growled in fury and threw herself at the woman, only to feel herself being struck in her left side, which sent her flying.
Natsu, who was also angry beyond his limit, tried to stand up to face The Arsenal. He managed to get on his feet, but that was the limit of his capabilities. Jolene smiled wickedly and kicked him in the stomach with her healthy leg, which sent him back onto the ground. She then licked her lips and walked up to the Dragon Slayer.
"Oh, how long have I waited for this moment." she whispered, before lifting her blade.
"Jolene."
Silva's voice sent shivers down her spine, as she quickly turned to her Master. "Keep your hands to yourself. He's mine."
Jolene bit her lip, clearly not fond of the idea, but complied nonetheless and gently bowed. "As you wish, Master."
She limped away from the pinkette and instead headed towards Juvia and Lucy. Seeing this, Erza quickly stood up and charged at the woman once again, picking up her sword on the way. Jolene merely smirked and grabbed Lucy by the hair. She then pulled the girl up and grabbed her neck with her arm, forcefully keeping the blonde on her feet, before putting up a blade to Lucy's neck.
"Not a step closer, Titania." chuckled Jolene.
Erza quickly stopped in her tracks and glared daggers at the woman, her teeth bared. "Let her go." she growled, her voice sounding much different than usual.
"Do you really think you're in any position to make demands?" mocked Jolene and pushed her sword up against Lucy's neck, a drop of blood flowing down her neck. "Drop your blade. Far."
Erza grit her teeth, but complied and threw her sword aside. In the meantime, Silva walked up to downed Natsu and stared him down.
"As I have told you many times, fate cannot be changed." he said to the pinkette, before stepping on his injured left arm. Natsu yelled out in pain and grabbed Silva's leg with his right hand, trying to get it off to no avail.
Erza was forced to listen to his cries, as despair started to take over her heart. She instinctively made a step in his direction, willing to help him, but Jolene had none of that, as she quickly pulled Lucy up in her arms and yelled out.
"One step closer and I'll open her up from ear to ear!" screeched Jolene, greatly enjoying the scene. Natsu's screams filled her with joy, joy she hasn't felt in years.
Natsu continued to yell, with Silva putting more and more pressure on his arm. Feeling tired of this form of torture, he took his foot off and gently kneeled down, before punching Natsu in the face. He then slowly struck him with his second hand, then back with his right, then again with left. He paused for a short moment, before repeatedly striking the downed Dragon Slayer, not using any sort of magic on purpose, in order to prolong his suffering.
"You brought this on yourself." he said, as he continued to pound Natsu's body. "If only you obeyed me and gave yourself up willingly, you wouldn't have to go through all this. Now, you'll suffer for destroying my dreams. I will make sure to keep it as creative and long as humanly possible."
With one final punch, Silva frowned with dissatisfaction. Despite landing multiple blows on the Dragon Slayer, he dealt little to no fresh damage to him. Not coating his fists with magic was foolish - the durability of Dragon Slayers was starting to annoy him.
All this time, Jolene continued to watch the spectacle in delight, with Erza struggling to stay in her spot. She couldn't stop tears flowing down her face from her left eye, as she cursed herself to her powerlessness. She watched Silva, who stood up from his spot and searched around the area. He then spotted the right tool to continue his torture and picked up Erza's sword, much to her horror.
"Stop it!" she cried out, her feet once again moving against her will. Just like before, Jolene was right there to stop her, only this time with much more joy.
"That's a great scream, Titania! I didn't know you had it in you!" she laughed maniacally, enjoying Erza's pain. She then calmed down a little and curiously looked at Lucy, before shifting her eyes back at Erza, her face twisting in a sinister smile. "I do wonder, how will you cry out when I kill this doll? I can't help myself but get curious."
"Don't!" yelled out the knight, much to the Commandment's enjoyment.
"C'mon, you can do better than that! Don't make me force it out of you!" screeched Jolene.
"You filth." growled furious Erza, but did not dare to move from her spot. She desperately tried to find a way out of this situation, as she also continued to observe Silva, who was now closing in on Natsu with her blade in his grip.
Jolene's face dropped. "I guess I really have to force it out of you. Try not to disappoint me."
Time froze. She dropped to her knees. Erza couldn't help but simply watch as Jolene pushed the blade up against Lucy's neck, ready and eager to slice it. In the meantime, Silva was now raising the blade in his hands and aimed its tip towards Natsu's left knee.
It was over. No matter how hard she tried, there was no way out of this situation. There was no one to inspire them, no one to save them. This was not a situation, where they were protected by any sort of moral code, or simple laws of mages. This was a life or death situation, and they had lost. When faced with these beasts without any sort of compassion or mercy, the only availble option was death.
Tears streamed down her face, and fell on top of her breasts. She let it happen again. People she considered family were about to die before her eyes, again. She was not strong enough to save them, again. To hell with overcoming her past, she couldn't even overcome the present. How can she trust herself, when she keeps failing those close to her?
"Sing for me, Titania." smiled Jolene for the last time before slicing Lucy's neck.
Like in slow motion, Erza felt her eyes widen in shock, her voice stuck in her throat, unable to make a sound. She quietly watched, as an ice spear made its way through Jolene's neck, drops of blood falling on the redhead's face.
"Huh?"
Jolene slowly lowered her eyes, only to witness something sticking out of her throat. Before she could react, she felt a sea of blood escaping out of her mouth, breath stopping in her lungs. She felt someone lean towards her ear, his raven hair tickling her face.
"Get your disgusting, filthy hands off my friends, you witch." growled livid Gray.
In one swift motion, he pulled his ice spear out of the woman's neck. Her blade and shield fell out of her hands along with Lucy, who was caught by the ice mage. The Arsenal brought her hands up to her neck and grabbed it, before slowly falling onto her knees, gargling with her blood. She desperately fought for breath, bubbles of blood forming in her mouth, as she sent her shocked Master one final look. She reached out to him in her last moments, and as her eyes grew misty and rid of light, she fell onto her face, dead.
Erza stared at the corpse in shock, before slowly shifting her gaze onto Gray. As her eyes made their way up to his face, her face changed into a concerned frown. As if expecting what he'll hear from her, Gray looked away and gently put Lucy down, before turning his attention to Juvia.
"It's not over yet." he reminded Erza, as he ripped the bluenette's jacked and applied pressure onto her wound.
Silva continued to stare at the scene in shock, before succumbing to rage.
"Every single one of you was a complete waste of my time." he growled. "I was a fool to believe any of you was worthy of my kindness. I should strip you all off your magic and leave you in the gutter, from where I picked you up and where you belong."
He then shifted his attention back to Natsu and raised the blade once again. "You're lucky, Salamander. You get to die early after all."
Before he could deliver the final blow, he spotted something with the corner of the eye. His body was consumed by a ball of flames, as it splattered all over the area, before revealing his uninjured, irritated figure. He looked in the direction the strike came from, his eyes landing on Erza, clad in her Flame Empress Armor, the remains of flames still decorating her sword.
"It seems like you wish to die first, Titania." he said. "It is a wish I will be more than glad to fulfill."
As she panted from exhaustion, Erza managed to crack a grin. "Who said I was aiming at you?"
This smirk played on the man's nerves far too heavily. However, just when he was about to strike back, Silva felt an iron grip on his throat, with his feet leaving the ground a second later. He instinctively put his hands on his oppressor's hand, which belonged to Natsu, who stared deep into Silva's eyes, his onyx irises filled with rage.
"How many people do you have to hurt before you're satisfied?" he growled, his grip increasing. Silva wiggled his feet in the air, air stuck in his sore throat. "Enough is enough, you scum!"
Natsu planted his fire coated fist deep into Silva's stomach, making the man cough up blood. He released his neck and allowed the man to fly backwards. Silva landed on his back few meters away and immediately stood up. He stared dumbfounded as Natsu straightened his back and sucked in all of the nearby flames, refilling his magic in the process. Once done, he sighed with relief and wiped his mouth, before staring at Silva with freshly found strength. The God couldn't help the shivers of fear run all over his body, which still remembered Natsu's overwhelming power from few minutes ago.
This was bad. His magic was starting to run out, and he was all out of pawns. Using five magics in such rapid fashion was bound to drain him, even with his inhuman resources. He carefully watched Natsu, who slowly made his way towards him. Even if a little bit of his magic returned, he was barely standing on his legs. One good strike was all he needed.
Silva exhaled and raised his hands in familiar fashion. Seeing this, Natsu bent his knees and quickly dashed at the man in order to deliver the first strike.
MAXIMUM...
Throbbing pain took over Silva's arms, preventing him from unleashing his attack. The drawbacks of earlier were still present, and he had no means of stopping them. Except one.
Swallowing his pride in order to ensure his survival, Silva decided to reach out to his final card, the one he never anticipated he'd be forced to use on himself. He loudly clapped his hands in front of his chest and kept them joined, his eyes closed. Natsu, unfamiliar with this move stopped in his tracks and carefully watched his opponent.
THE SNATCHER'S SIXTH MAGIC: REVERSE!
Green light covered Silva's entire body and after a short while disappeared. The man sighed in relief and opened his eyes, a small smirk forming on his face.
"I never thought I'd be using this magic on myself, Salamander. You really have pushed me to my absolute limits." he said. "But this farce is about to end. In a while, I will crush you into dust and pick up the remains of my ambitions. If I cannot do it with Zeref, I'll do it myself."
Natsu carefully watched the man, his eyes glued to the green aura surrounding his body. He didn't feel any difference in Silva, and yet his instincts screamed to him to be cautious. Just when he was about to ask the man out loud about his move, he felt his eyes widen in suprise, realisation kicking in.
Silva's injuries were slowly but surely regressing, his burns becoming paler and smaller. Noticing the pinkette's shock, Silva grinned.
"Reverse. The ability to rewind everything that happened to a single object, be it organic or solid. During the upcoming 180 seconds, I can rewind back 20 minutes of something's time, reverting it to its past state. The process is slow, but certain. In less than 3 minutes, my body will revert back to what it was like 20 minutes ago, filled with magic and completely rid of injuries."
Natsu bent his knees and lit up his hands. "In other words, I have 3 minutes to kill you."
Silva smirked. "You will not reach me ever again." he said, as he slowly lifted his right feet, ready to reconstruct the ground to his needs.
Just when he was about to charge at Silva, Natsu lifted his own right leg and stomped the ground, breaking it into hundreds of small pieces. Small pieces of debris flew all around the area, leaving Silva suprised. He broke the ground to prevent me from using the ground to my advantage. Did he...?
The Dragon Slayer charged at Silva, his fists lit aflame. The man calmed down and did not even bother guarding himself, ready to use his barrier at any time.
FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!
BARRIER!
Much to his shock, Silva felt his face being nailed by a powerful right straight, which blew his head back. Unable to comprehend what happened, he noticed Natsu readying up another attack and once again put up his barrier, only to be hit in the stomach. He slid on the ground and grit his teeth in pain, with Natsu standing in front of him, panting.
"What have you done?!" growled The God, before being consumed by flames once. This time, however, he didn't have enough time to guard himself and took the full extent of the blow.
"Titania!~" he roared and turned in Erza's direction, who fell onto her knees and dropped out of her armor. He put up his hand and aimed it at the redhead, Repel already forming in his palm.
He was interrupted by a kick to the face, which sent him flying backwards. He quickly stood up, his eyes landing on Natsu, who was now consuming the fresh flames. He sucked them all in and straightened himself up, even more magic returning to his body. Not a second later, he threw himself at Silva, who patiently awaited the strike.
Calm down, anger does not suit a God. There has to be some sort of a trick he's using in order to bypass my Barrier.
Silva put up his Barrier and watched as Natsu retracted his right arm and struck the magic. Realisation finally hitting him, Silva released the magic just when Natsu was about to bypass it again and caught the blow with his left hand, his body now clad in Body Enhancement Magic.
"So that's how it is." muttered Silva to himself. His reason has returned to him. He has come up with countermeasures against my magics. This will be harder than I thought.
"You're keeping your flames sealed inside your body, keeping the strength of your blows but not letting magic leak out." analysed Silva, squeezing Natsu's hand. "It appears watching my battle with Dreyar and Scarlet has given you a hint."
Natsu's eyes narrowed. He knew what Silva's squeeze meant, his left arm still remembered it very well. Certain that the man had no means of blocking his magic anymore, Natsu let out his flames and struck Silva in the face, blowing him back. The man roared in agony and slid back on his feet, his hands immediately reaching out to his face. He glared at Natsu through his fingers and watched the pinkette follow him. Feeling that enough time has passed, Silva extended his arms before him and switched magics.
ATOMIC-
Throbbing pain took over his arms once again, reminding him that it was not the time yet. He was starting to panic. With Reverse still in effect, his healing was certain, but the more damage he took, the more he had to rewind. His Air and Explosion Magics were sealed, his Barrier was figured out and he could no longer manipulate the ground, due to having not enough space to work it. With his back against the wall, Silva realised the only way he could get through this situation right now was to play his opponent's game.
Maximizing the effect of his Body Enhancement Magic, Silva charged at Natsu as well. Both men retracted their fists and struck at the same time, their right hands making contact. A powerful shockwave of wind and flames spread all over the floor, pushing Erza and the rest back.
Silva was the first to break contact and threw a left hook at the pinkette, who ducked right under it, the strike sending air currents due to its strength. He responded with a right body blow, which was blocked by Silva's right hand. The man then tried to strike the Dragon Slayer with hi left once again, only to feel a foot on his chin, which pushed his head back. Natsu used this opportunity to strike Silva's exposed torso.
FIRE DRAGON'S TWIN IRON FIST!
With both of his hands, Natsu punched Silva's stomach and sent him back, a grimace of pain forming on the man's face. The pinkette quickly followed through and jumped in the air, before dropping his right leg on Silva's head. The God put up his arms just in time and guarded the strike, but Natsu pushed him with his legand send him sliding on the floor. Happy with his momentum. Natsu immediately ran after Silva and punched his exposed stomach, but this time, he didn't manage to push the man back. He then struck him with a left hook to the chin, but that didn't do anything either. Confused, Natsu stopped his barrage and took a careful look at Silva.
The man's face was slowly becoming rid of any damage, which reminded Natsu of his time limit. Silva smirked and struck Natsu in the face with a right hook, which blew the Slayer to the side. He then looked at his fist and clenched it a couple times, a smirk forming on his face.
"It appears it's starting to work." he said, before shifting his gaze back onto his opponent.
Salamander growled and strained his body to its limits, lightning and fire covering his body once again. Panic started to creep onto his neck as he threw himself at Silva, the man's recovery reminding him of how little time he has.
Seeing the yellow lightning surrounding the pinkette's body made Silva tense up. He put up his guard and waited for his chance to counter the overwhelming magic. He knew that Natsu was running on fumes and pure adrenaline, he could drop at any moment. Still, he was a dangerous threat and underestimating him would be a grievous mistake.
Silva blocked Natsu's fist with his Barrier, and then immediately followed through with a right straight, which was dodged. Natsu jumped behind Silva with suprising speed and tried to attack his lower back, only to feel his feet stop on an invisible wall. Silva twisted his palms backwards and aimed them at his opponent, before launching two big explosions in his direction. Natsu jumped out of the way just in time and kicked at Silva from above, catching him just before he could protect himself. The man jumped out of the way at the last second, but was too slow to completely dodge the Dragon Slayer. With his body still in the air, he helplessly watched Natsu charge at him, his right fist coated in fire and lightning. He clenched his teeth and awaited the strike.
Natsu's fist made contact with Silva's stomach, making him cough up blood and burning him. Natsu flexed his shoulder and pushed, sending Silva flying towards the ground. As his back planted itself into the surface, Natsu followed through by joining his hands above his head and bringing them down at the Commandment.
LIGHTNING FLAME DRAGON'S JAW!
BARRIER!
At the last second, Silva blocked the attack, both elements leaking to the sides across the invisible wall. While watching the clash, Erza couldn't help but frown in confusion. Silva had more than enough time to block Natsu's previous strike, but instead took it. Was there a time interval between each use of his barrier?
Silva rolled out of the way and allowed Natsu to crash into the ground. As he slid on the broken surface, he kept his right hand in it and focused on the spot the pinkette was in. Just as dust cleared, Silva used his magic on the bigger pieces of debris and turned them into spikes, all of them aimed at Natsu. Salamander covered himself in his aura and effortlessly broke the spikes, charging at Silva a second later. With his arms now healed, the man put them in front of him and focused his magic in his palms.
MAXIMUM AIR CUTTER!
An enormous wave of wind flew in Natsu's direction, forcing him to jump upwards. Expecting this to happen, Silva positioned so that he was directly below Natsu and placed his hands on the ground.
AIR TOWER!
In front of Silva formed a tower of air slicers, all of them flying upwards towards their target. Gritting his teeth in annoyance, Natsu lit his feet aflame and positioned himself out of the way of the attack. He then put his hands up above his head and formed a ball of lightning and flames, before throwing it at Silva. The Commandment jumped out of the way, with Natsu following after him. The God threw another big explosion at the pinkette, who ducked beneath it and caught up to the silverhead.
Both men engaged each other in a wild exchange of blows, with Silva using his Body Enhancement Magic and Natsu using both of his elements. Silva blocked Natsu's right hook and countered with a right straight, which the Slayer ducked under. He struck Silva's exposed liver and followed with a right uppercut, blowing the man's head back. Furious, Silva opened his palm and used an Air Wave from point blank range, only to miss completely. Natsu used this chance to strike his liver once again, this time twice in a row. His body buckling over, Silva managed to block Natsu's knee aimed at his chin at the last moment with his Barrier. The fire mage quickly put his leg back on the ground and threw a right hook, which was once again blocked. Silva put his hand in front of Natsu's face and landed a point blank explosion, effectively pushing him backwards. Fresh burns appeared on Natsu's face, but were far from enough to bring him down. Silva used this freshly acquired space to use another, bigger Air Wave, but his plans were spoiled with Natsu kicking him in the gut. Gritting his teeth in pain, Silva blocked Natsu's follow-up with his Barrier and jumped back. Seeing that Silva's feet left the ground, he powered up an charged after the man, successfully catching his torso with his head. Silva spat out blood and cried out in agony, before being blown away.
This bastard...he's noticed! panicked Silva in his mind and quickly stood up from the ground.
Seeing that Natsu would not stop chasing him no matter what, Silva decided to sacrifice his defense in exchange of raw power and speed. Maximizing the speed of his Body Enhancement Magic, Silva charged back, meeting Natsu in his own game. Both men engaged in another exchange of blows, but this time, Silva was much harder to hit, and landed more strikes than Natsu. With his magic and health slowly returning to him, Silva was becoming faster and stronger with each second, which started to show itself. Despite his both elements blasting at full throttle, his injuries and dropping magic power greatly crippled him.
Natsu spat out some blood after eating a nasty hook to his jaw and answered with one of his own, only to be dodged. Silva used this opportunity to kicked him in the stomach and push him away with a ball of air. He was then bombarded with a barrage of small, but slowing down explosions. Gritting his teeth, Natsu slowly started to walk towards Silva, guarding himself from the blasts with his arms. Seeing that his feet were not too far away from Silva's, he dropped his guard and struck at the man, only to hit nothing but air.
Silva put his hand on Natsu's back and marked it, before snapping his fingers and blowing his back. A brand new scorch formed itself on Natsu's back, but he simply sucked his teeth in pain and tried to ignore it. He turned around and stared at the man with animal fury, before charging at him in straight line, once again repeating the mistake that cost him his health on the top floor.
Silva calmly raised his right hand and smirked, certain of his victory. He released his combat magics and focused his magic in his palm, reaching out to all the absorbed power.
"It's over." he whispered.
REPEL!
Giant shockwave of all the absorbed strikes launched itself at Natsu, breaking and reducing everything on its path into dust. Silva watched in triumph, with Natsu still blindly charging into the attack, which was now mere few feet away. However, much to his shock, he noticed Natsu's knees slowly bending themselves, his figure leaning more and more towards the ground. Just before he could eat the shockwave, Natsu dropped to the floor on all fours so low he was just one centimeter away from laying down. He lowered his head and allowed the attack to go right above him, at it made its way across the floor and continued its destruction.
With Silva too shocked to muster any sort of a reaction, Natsu raised his head back up and launched himself at the man, his fist pulled back.
LIGHTNING FLAME DRAGON'S FIRING HAMMER!
The Commandment took the full extent of the blow, a weird sound escaping his mouth along with blood, his ribs breaking like twigs. With one final grunt, Natsu pushed forward trying to send the man fly, but Silva had none of that. Reaching his absolute limits, he forced himself to stay in his spot, raspy, furious breaths escaping his mouth.
"ENOUGH!~" he roared and blasted Natsu away with his explosions. He then clasped his hands and put them on the ground, causing it to shake. "I will not tolerate this insolence any further!"
From beneath his crouching figure rose up a giant pillar, which raised him high in the air, his figure now covering the moon.
"I am a God! I will not be beaten by an extinct magic, held by someone whose life I own!"
Silva raised both of his hands above his head, his magic power raising in the process. "I will blast you all into oblivion! And after I'm done, I will take my time killing every single mage in this world, starting with your precious guild, Titania!"
Natsu growled in disgust, anger and exhaustion, but did not back down. He started to build up his remaining magic power, his aura slowly but surely growing. His entire body cried out in pain, but he had no time for that. If he failed, everyone here would die.
"What the hell is he doing?!" wondered Gray out loud. "Does he really think he will survive this?! And what's up with that pillar?!"
Erza slowly stood up. She knew exactly what was the purpose behind this ridiculous structure. Not only was it to distance himself from the blast and his enemies, but it was also his survival policy. Having watched his battle with Natsu, she came up to a major conclusion - that in order to activate his Barrier, he has to be immobile. In other words, his body has to remain on a solid surface. This foothold was his trump card in case anyone tried to prevent him from destroying the tower. And there were multiple someones who were more than willing to try.
"Gray!" she called out, trying to be louder than the wind, which was now starting to be unbearable. "Can you freeze this pillar?!"
The Maker looked at her in confusion but nodded. "Yeah, no problem. What are you planning to do?"
Erza grinned. "Take him down."
Not really getting her, Gray simply shook his head and punched his hand, before freezing the base of the pillar. In the meantime, Natsu bent his knees as low as he could and pushed upwards, launching himself towards Silva, the ground beneath his feet breaking like a thin layer of ice. He pulled his right hand behind and focused his entire magic in his fist, his fire almost white in color and his lightning crackling dangerously.
Noticing the man, Silva merely smirked. "You have already lost, Salamander! I told you, fate cannot be changed!"
At this moment in time, Silva was more than certain of his victory. Even if Natsu caught up to him before he completed his attack, he could always dispell it and protect himself from harm with his Barrier. After that, Salamander would fall to the ground, completely drained and at his mercy. With everyone else out of commission, this desperate fool was the only thing standing in his way, and with his demise, his victory was assured.
Erza roared from exhaustion, but managed to Requip back into her red pants. Holding Benizakura tightly, she focused every single remaining bit of magic power she had and launched herself at the frozen pillar.
Above her, Natsu was now mere few meters away from Silva. The man was already dispelling his attack, a condescending, wicked grin glued to his face.
With everything she had, Erza struck the structure, successfully cutting right through it. The pillar started to tilt itself to the right, no longer able to support itself, as it started to break under its weight.
With his hand extended in front of him, Silva couldn't contain his feelings. "Turn into dust, Salamander!" he screeched in triumph. However, just mere milliseconds away from activating his Barrier, he felt his feet losing contact with their foothold. His eyes widening in shock and terror, he noticed his creation crumbling beneath his feet, as it started to fall to the ground. With his body now completely suspended in air, he couldn't help but simply watch the enraged Dragon Slayer close up on him, his retracted fist slowly starting to travel in his direction.
With his onyx eyes filled with hate, fury, determination, duty and will to protect those who supported him during this tough journey, Natsu stared down Silva's very soul, filling him with fear he'd never felt in his entire life. Painful memories from 7 years back flooding into his mind, Natsu couldn't help the tear that found its way out of his right eye. He clenched his teeth and fist as hard as he could, before throwing it at Silva.
LIGHTNING FLAME DRAGON'S JUDGEMENT HAMMER!
His cry was loud, his voice broken and hoarse. His fist made contact with Silva's left side of his head, almost immediately knocking him out. Fire and lightning blew up around both men, surrounding them in the colorful aura. Driving his fist downwards, Natsu let out a deafening roar and pushed with all his might, sending Silva flying towards the ground. The man crashed into the floor and broke right through it, falling onto Third Floor. His body broke the ground, splitting it in two giant pieces that raised themselves up, with Silva's defeated figure lying in the very center, his arms and legs sprawled to the side like a ragdoll, his eyes completely rid of pupils and his face twisted in agony.
Completely drained, Natsu allowed himself to fall, crashing into the floor right next to Erza. The redhead quickly walked up to him, worried about his state. Feeling weight get off her chest, he saw his exhausted figure panting heavily in its spot. She couldn't help but smile at him, not sure why herself.
"It's finally over." she told him.
Natsu looked at her through his half opened eyes and sucked his breath in. He slowly stood up to his feet and started to walk towards the fresh hole, passing Erza by.
"No, it's not. He's not dead yet."
The knight quickly frowned in worry. She watched him walk away from her, before throwing herself after him and firmly grabbing his right arm.
"Stop it, Natsu. It's over. He's been bested, there is no need for further violence." she tried to reason with him.
He forcefully ripped his arm out of her grip. "As long as he's still breathing, it's not over."
Erza grit her teeth in anger. She wasn't angry at him, but at the situation as a whole.
"Don't you remember what you've told me on our way here? How killing that man yesterday gave you absolutely nothing, but made you hate yourself? Are you willingly trying to lose yourself?"
"It's none of your business." he growled.
Erza snapped. In one move she grabbed his right collarbone and forcefully turned him around, making him look her in the eye.
"It is my business!" she screamed. "I've been where you are right now, I know what it feels like! You don't care about anything, or anyone, as long as you get what you want! What you want is pointless and hurtful! Not only to yourself, but those who care about you!"
"And who would that be?" he asked her rhetorically, not expecting an answer.
"Me!" she roared into his face, hers now mere centimeters away from his.
This one word shook Natsu, leaving him with his mouth slightly agape.
"I finally get it now. We are two sides of the same coin. We both come from the same place, and we both went through the same hardships, but our ways split up after meeting someone willing to give us a chance. I've been saved years ago, but you are still lost. Let me be the person to help you!"
Natsu stared at her, confused. He couldn't muster a single word, so he simply listened to the knight.
"Someone very close to me, someone I own my life to once told me, that we have to be willing to change. I was just like you, ready to throw myself into darkness, and one of my legs was already deep in it. But I was saved! Yours is still there, stuck, sinking deeper and deeper with each second!"
She was now crying. And unlike before, not with just her left eye, but her right one as well.
"If you kill this man, you will go to a place where I won't be able to reach you. Don't let them control you any further! You are free, we both are! Tonight, in this place, our nightmare has ended! So just take my hand, let me help you!"
He gently grit his teeth. "So what do you want me to do? Forgive him, leave him alive after all he's done?!"
Erza shook her head. "No. Forgiveness has its limits, and they have greatly crossed them. But you don't have to stain yourself any longer. They will all face justice for what they've done."
Natsu dropped his head, still not entirely convinced of her idea. Seeing this, Erza took a deep breath to calm herself down and let him go.
"Do what you feel is right. If you decide to take my hand, I will give it with gladness. If you feel that ending his life is the only answer, do it. I will not intervene any longer."
He clenched his fist and stared at it. Conflicted was not a suitable enough word to describe how he felt right now. He still remembered the burning pain he's been put through all these years ago, images of the terrible things he witnessed during last seven years started to roll before his eyes like a movie. His friends being blown up just few hours ago right before his eyes, all the people that were now injured because of him.
He started to shake. Killing him was the only way to pay all those atrocities back, the only way to make it right to all of them. Yes, killing Silva was the only answer, and yet, just when he was about to make a step towards the man, he stopped. A quiet voice in the back of his head started to make him doubt his way. Was it really right? Was killing the very man responsible for all this horror the only option?
Yes, yes it was.
But was it really?
Yes.
Are you sure?
Yes.
But the feeling you felt after killing Grigol, did you enjoy it?
No.
Do you want to feel it again?
No.
But you still want to kill Silva?
Yes.
What about her?
What about who?
Sis. What would she do in this situation? How would she feel about it?
Natsu's eyes snapped open. He remembered her bright, kind face, and could actually hear her voice in his ears, and as he recalled Erza's words from a moment ago, the answer formed itself.
She'd try to stop me. She'd try to help me. Just like her.
No longer able to keep his emotions inside, Natsu roared into the sky in confusion, anger and powerlessness. After a short while he stopped and slowly turned around to face Erza.
"I can't." he whispered to her, his eyes closing themselves on their own from exhaustion.
She managed to crack a small smile at him. "I see."
Suddenly, his eyes lost their focus, and he started to fall onto his face.
"Natsu!" she called out and caught him before he could fall. She supported his weight with her body and slowly dropped to her knees along with him, allowing him to lean in on her figure. She gently wrapped her arms around his figure and lightly hugged him, closing her own eyes as well.
"Thank you." she whispered into his ear, and as she sat there with him in her arms, she heard the familiar sound of Christina hovering in the air just above them.
The battle was over. Their nightmare has ended. They had won.
Few hours after Silva's defeat, Makarov, along with his rescue party and multiple Council ships have arrived at the scene. After the initial shock of the state the battleground was in, the Council quickly attended to all the injured. Mira, Laxus, Gajeel and Juvia, who were in critical state, were tended to by Council doctors along with Wendy, who put everything she had on the line in order to save them.
The freed slaves were immediately loaded onto a separate ship and sent straight to a hospital, in order to check their health and tend to those too weak to move on their own. Before they could leave, however, they all expressed their gratitude to Lucy, who came by some time before the reinforcements arrived and almost crushed her to death with a warm group hug.
During the battle, two Commandments have perished. Jolene and Dryden's bodies were taken away straight away, with an order to burn them falling almost immediately. The remaining Commandments have been cuffed with Anti-Magic Cuffs and treated in order to ensure their survival during the journey back to the Council, where they were to be trialed. Erza couldn't help but frown sadly as she watched Jellal being taken away, the image of her old friends still stuck in her mind.
Natsu, who was also ordered to be captured, did not even fight back, He willingly allowed himself to be escorted by Rune Knights, who did not even bother cuffing him, mostly because of the state he was in. It took Makarov everything he had to calm Erza down and beg her for patience.
A day later, Council blew up the tower with over a ton of lacrima explosives, reducing it into a pile of rubble. In order to completely destroy it, the entire island was set in flames, turning this cursed place into ashes.
Three days later, November 27th, Fairy Tail Guild
The memories of the battle were still fresh, mostly because of the scars left on everyone who was present in the Tower that night.
Mirajane, who was now able to walk on her own, sat in her chair in the guild and repeatedly clenched and relaxed her fist, frowning. Because of setting her hand aflame during her fight with Dryden, her nerves received serious damage that could not be repaired fully, and in result, her hand would stiffen get "jam" for a moment, which greatly annoyed her. It was also covered in scars, which could not be simply overlooked by a naked eye. Although she knew the consequences of her actions, the fact her hand would never be as functional as before pained her.
Although Lucy did not receive any serious injuries in her battle, she was still shaken up by the feeling of being stripped off her will. The constant nightmares forcefully kept her awake, slowly but surely driving her insane. If it hadn't been for Loke and everyone else's support, she'd have broken down already.
Laxus laid in his bed and frowned while looking out the window. Facing those two beasts reminded him that despite his already impressive strength, there was always someone out there, standing on a higher level. Cursing his luck and powerlessness, he swore never to allow himself to feel so miserable ever again. It was time to shape himself up even more.
Gajeel limped through the guild, a crutch in his hand and a frown on his face. He didn't like it, not one bit. He got hit ass kicked not once, but twice, and because of that, others had to deal with his problems. Despite being covered in new scars, with the most noticeable ones being those on his thigh and shoulder, his pride received damage he doubted would ever recover. But he was more than willing to help it out.
Juvia tried to avoid him, feeling guilty of what happened. But after three days of trying, she broke. She slowly walked up to him and shyly sat right in front of him, afraid he will tell her to go away. He just sat there, reading his magazine, not even looking at her.
"What's up?" asked her Gray in a bored tone.
Juvia was slightly taken back by his carefree approach, but did not falter.
"I wanted to apologize."
Gray frowned and looked at her from over his magazine. "For what?"
After a short pause, she spilled it out. "Because of me, you had to do something terrible. I will never be able to answer for this sin. If only I paid attention, and didn't let that woman sneak up on me..."
In one quick move, he threw his magazine aside and leaned forwards, grabbing her by the collar. He grit his teeth in anger and stared deep into her eyes, slightly scaring her.
"Don't you dare." he hissed. She blinked at him in confusion. "Don't you dare blame yourself for this. This was all my fault. It happened because of me. Don't you dare take it all upon yourself!"
The last sentence was a scream, and as she watched him in shock, she noticed tears running down his face, his voice breaking. "If only I had been stronger..."
Almost as if by instinct, she quickly stood up and wrapped her arms around him, tightly hugging him to her figure. He didn't reject her like he was so used to. This time, he succumbed to her warm figure and hugged her back, allowing himself to let it all out. Something he needed for a very long time.
November 28th, Magic Council HQ, Era
Makarov was now standing in front of the Chairman and many other Council members, an image he's seen not so long ago. This time, however, he was here in a different matter.
"Words cannot express how happy I am to see you well and healthy again, Chairman." said the elder with a gentle bow.
Gran Doma nodded in gratitude. "I am as well. I feel like I have awakened from a very long nightmare. A nightmare that you, my friend, have put an end to. I cannot express how thankful I am."
Makarov shook his head. "It wasn't me. My kids deserve all the praise. I simply broke in and caused even more chaos."
Gran Doma gently chuckled. "I guess now we know who they take after."
Both men shared a gentle laugh,. before Gran Doma cleared his throat and struck the floor with his staff.
"Unfortunately, we are not here to joke around, but discuss the damage dealt by Seven Commandments. I think it's fair that I start with myself. My weakness almost led to not only the destruction of the Council, but the entire magic world as well. For that, there is nothing I can do to repent."
Murmurs filled the hall. Makarov frowned sadly. He expected this to happen, but it still pained him.
"Therefore, today will be my last day as the Chairman. I will resign by midnight and pass my title onto Sage Org."
Shocked gasps echoed across the hall, along with outraged calls of disagreement. The Chairman ignored them and turned to shocked Org. "Would you be willing to fill my shoes, old friend?"
Although shocked, the elder bowed. "It would be my honor."
Gran Doma nodded and struck the floor once again, silencing the ruckus. He looked around the hall in search of anyone else willing to speak out, and seeing none, he addressed Makarov once again.
"The people retrieved from the Tower have been successfully treated. We managed to reunite some of them with their families, but unfortunately, the rest has nowhere to go. The Council will take care of that, and we will make sure to secure them a fruitful future, where they can live in peace."
Makarov nodded. "I will relay this information to Lucy and Juvia. They are the girls responsible for freeing them."
"There's also the matter of all the guilds who took a part in this ridiculous farce regarding the bounty. They will be visited by an official from the Council, and given a necessary payment, in order to secure all the caused property damage. That applies to Fairy Tail as well."
The tiny Master sweatdropped. He had no desire to correct this mistake and tell the Chairman that it was Ntaus who broke down his door, not his men.
"Although I think it goes without saying, the order to disband Fairy Tail has been lifted. If it hadn't been for you and your members, the world of magic would receive grim damage. After this terrible stain on our reputation, the world doesn't believe in us anymore. We must do everything in our power to ensure, that such tragedy never happens ever again." continued Gran Doma, with many members mutterring their agreement.
Makarov bowed down once again. "Thank you for your kind words, however we do not deserve all the praise. If it hadn't been for our outside help, we wouldn't be able to help." He then lifted his head to look into Gran Doma's eyes. "Therefore, I ask you to reconsider shortening the sentences of Six Generals. It was thanks to their intel that I was able to confirm my suspicions."
Gran Doma stared back at the elder. "This matter will be discussed at a later date, however, I give you my word, that they will not be forgotten."
Makarov nodded. "There's also the last matter left to discuss, and I think we both know who I'm talking about."
The Chairman exhaled through his nose. He expected this topic to come up, but it still felt wrong to talk about it.
"It'd be yet another stain on our honor if I undermined his role in this victory. If it hadn't been for Salamander, Seven Commandments would have accomplished their plan, and at a much faster rate. However..."
Makarov closed his eyes. He knew that this conversation would not be easy, and this pause was just the tip of the iceberg.
"Years of constantly breaking the law, hurting and killing people, along with his affliction to the Underground. That cannot be simply overlooked, no matter how good of a deed he did. He will remain in his cell and await his trial."
Makarov hung his head. He knew that no matter how hard he argued, the decision would not be overturned. Still, he couldn't help but feel frustrated.
"Is what I'd have said under normal circumstances." finished Gran Doma, greatly shocking everyone present in the hall. The Chairman then faced Makarov.
"Makarov Dreyar. Your guild is famous for being full of sketchy, violent young mages, who for some reason have some of the most golden hearts you could find in Fiore. Whether it's your influence, or your sixth sense that resolves around bringing the best out of them, is not really for me to decide. Therefore, I have come up with a proposition."
"Chairman, you can't seriously think of releasing this criminal?!" yelled outraged Michello.
"I'd like to remind you, Michello, that this criminal is quite possibly the only reason you're still standing here." threw in Belno.
This appeared to shut the short man up, as he fumed quietly and sat back in his place. Gran Doma then turned back to Makarov and continued.
"What do you say? Would you be willing to hear me out?"
Erza nervously paced around the hallway, her arms crossed on her chest, as she repeatedly tapped her left bicep with her fingers. Lost in thoughts, she didn't even notice the door opening, with Makarov walking out. She snapped out of her trance and ran up to him, but before she could ask him the question he knew all too well, he raised his hand, signalising her to stop.
"Wait here. I'll be back in a moment."
That did not seem to satisfy her, but she nodded nonetheless and walked up to the window, before jumping onto a windowsill, her legs hanging off the edge.
Makarov followed his Rune Knight down the familiar stairs, both of them walking towards the jail. Not even few minutes later, he found himself in front of a door. He stepped aside to allow the guard to open it and stepped inside as soon as he could. He heard the door closing behind him, with the clank of a key turned in the lock echoing across the small room.
Makarov's eyes laid on a young man with pink hair, and he immediately felt himself being taken over by anger. Anger not aimed at the boy, gods no, but at the state he was in.
He was currently on his knees, his hands raised high above his head and cuffed tightly, his torso suspended, which prevented him from laying down. His injuries were barely treated, his entire body still covered in burns and cuts. Although he was given a new set of pants, his torso was naked, along with his feet.
Gritting his teeth and trying to prevent himself from going back up and giving those old fools a piece of his mind, Makarov walked up couple steps towards the youngster.
Natsu slowly lifted his head up and looked at the elder. "Last visit before my execution?" he asked weakly.
"Not execution, but life imprisonment." replied the elder. "But it's all up to you."
Natsu frowned. Makarov internally cursed himself for this poor choice of words and decided to start over.
"Although we've met few days ago, I doubt you remember me." he said. "Makarov Dreyar, Fairy Tail's Third Master."
Natsu did not respond for a short moment. "Natsu. Natsu Dragneel."
Makarov looked at his, slightly suprised. This was the first time he heard the boy's full name. Before, he introduced himself with just his nickname.
"Well then, Natsu. I guess there is no use in prolonging this any further."
Natsu blinked slowly and kept his eyes on Makarov's old face.
"Under normal circumstances, you'd be imprisoned for life. I think it's nothing new to either of us."
The pinkette smiled sadly. Of course. He expected it for some time now, but hearing it in person still hurt.
"But, as I said, that would be only under normal circumstances. And they are quite abnormal, if you ask me."
Now he was confused. Just what the hell was this old man talking about?
"In gratitude for your actions, you were given a second chance. You have two options: you can either stay here for the rest of your life, or come with me, and join my guild under very strict restrictions and rules. Your entire life would fall onto my shoulders and I'd be responsible for every single one of your actions. So, what do you say? Wanna bust out of here?" he finished with a grin.
Natsu's eyes widened. Did he hear it right? He could either stay here or join a guild? Was this some sort of a prank?
"You serious?" he asked.
Makarov nodded. "As serious as humanly possible. You could consider it house arrest, if you'd like. For the upcoming 5 years, I will have to deliver monthly reports of your activity. I will also be responsible for your actions during your work, time off and time spent in the guild. Your entire being will be my responsibility, that I will have no choice but watch over. If you decide to take my offer, that is."
Natsu frowned. Why? Why was this man willing to go this far for a stranger?
"How can you ask me to join your guild?" he shot, confusing Makarov. "I hurt your members back in Blackhill."
"Yes, that you did." said Makarov. "But even if I wanted to, I am in no position to blame you for it. I sent them after you myself. If I was angry at you for defending yourself, I'd be a fool. And before you ask, none of them blame you for what happened either. They all came prepared."
It still didn't sit right with him.
"Besides, even if I did blame you for that incident, you'd have paid it with what you did in the Tower. It's because of you Lucy and Juvia are alive." added Makarov.
At the sound of Lucy's name, Natsu's face twisted into a frown, that went unnoticed by the elder due to how dark it was in the room. "Why would you go this far for someone like me?"
"Because I've met many troubled young people during my life, some of them you've already met yourself. It's one of my worst habits, but one I am most proud of. I simply can't turn my back on someone, who's in dire need of help. And you, my boy, are one of them." answered Makarov. A moment later, he looked to the side, a little troubled and scratched the back of his head with his hand. "That and Erza kept pesterizing me for the past 4 days."
Natsu's eyes widened at the sound of her name. "Erza..."
Makarov cleared his throat and extended his right hand in Natsu's direction. "This is not me saving you, or pitying you. This is me showing you a new, better path. Whether you take it, is up to you. You've spent too much time suffering on your own, the time for you to finally start living has come. I know that after the Tower, you believe there is nothing left for you in this world, but despite your beliefs, you still have a lot left to do, do you not? After all, that dragon will not find himself on his own."
Natsu's eyes snapped wide open. "How do you know about Igneel?!"
Makarov laughed at this sudden reaction. "Gajeel and Wendy were also raised by dragons, so I figured out that was the case with you as well. Looks like I was right."
His expression then turned serious, his hand still extended. "So, what do you say?"
The Dragon Slayer lowered his head. Did he really deserve this? Did he really deserve to receive such an opportunity? He never thought about life, or what he'd do after his confrontation with Silva. But, if he really had a chance to start fresh, if he really could let go of everything and rid himself off his chains, then...
He raised his head and looked into Makarov's eyes, his burning with new found resolve.
Erza was now angry. It's been over an hour since she was told to wait in the hallway, and since then she was ordered to wait outside. No matter how bad of a sense of time her Master had, "A moment" should never, ever last an hour. Fed up with waiting, she turned around towards the entrance, ready to give him a piece of her mind.
"Yo, Erza! Sorry it took so long!" he greeted her in the door, with few drops of sweat on his face. Despite his status, he knew he was screwed.
The knight sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, a sign that she was about to spill out on the poor soul that was chosen as her target. "Master, I..."
Before she could start, she felt her voice stop in her throat, because now, directly behind Makarov stood Natsu, clad in a borrowed Council jacket.
"Hey, Erza." he greeted her weakly, raising his right hand in the process.
Erza looked at Makarov in search for answers, but the elder simply showed her a peace sign and grinned. "Welcome our newest member, Natsu Dragneel!"
She still couldn't believe it. She slowly walked up to him, her brown eyes glued to his onyx irises. He looked terrible, but alive. Alive and out of his cell. That's all that mattered to her.
"Hey." she said back. "I see they let you out."
"Yeah. I could either stay there or join your guild, terrible choices no matter how I look at it."
She couldn't help but chuckle. "You have no idea."
Her right hand glowed in bright light, which blinded Natsu. After a short moment, he felt a familiar, warm sensation on his neck, with his scarf gently wrapped around his neck.
"I picked it up back in the Tower. I thought it was important, so I picked it up." she smiled.
He caressed the material. He didn't even realise how much he missed it until he finally got it back. He couldn't help but look at the redhead and give her quite possibly the warmest and widest smile she's seen from him thus far.
"It is. Thanks, Erza."
Taken back a little, she quickly recovered and smiled as well, her cheeks slightly red. "You're welcome."
For a moment they stood there, smiling at each other, before Makarov's coughing reminded them of his presence.
"I hate to break the moment, but we better leave. Our last train leaves in couple minutes."
Embarrassed, Erza nodded and walked behind Makarov, with Natsu following them.
After some arguing, Erza gave up and decided to trust Makarov's judgement. He decided to walk to the next train station, where they were supposed to catch a train that would get them home few hours earlier, than the one from Era. They walked through the forest outside of the town in silence, before Natsu stopped in his tracks. He looked around the area, his face frowned. Seeing this, Erza stopped and turned around to face him.
"Is something wrong?" she asked him.
Now fully convinced of where he was, he didn't even answer her, and instead threw himself in a mad dash through the bushes. Confused with his behavior, Erza followed him. She called out to him multiple times, but he did not reply to her voice. She jumped out of the bushes and passed by a ruined shed, following him into the wilds once again. After couple minutes of running, she stopped just by a tree that stood next to a river, panting heavily. She watched Natsu's back, as he stood by the river, his eyes glued to a big stone that was placed in the ground.
She wanted to call out to him, to ask him what the hell was that about, but for some reason, she couldn't. She simply watched him, as he squatted in front of the stone and smiled at it.
"Hey, Sis. Haven't been here in a while. Sorry for that, I was...busy. And not the good kind."
He took a deep breath and continued. "You probably despise me right now. Can't say I blame you, I've been a real asshole for the past seven years. Hell, you'd probably smack me for that one word alone. I know I've never been a good kid. Never listening, always causing trouble. And trust me, I haven't changed one bit. I'm still the same reckless idiot who made you worried sick. But, I guess you already know all about it."
He shifted his gaze at the sky. "I've spent over seven years in the dark. I've become the very man you hate the most. I did horrible things and selfishly tried to justify them with justice. Man, it really is embarrassing when I say it out loud. I know I'll never be able to make up for all of them, no matter how hard I try. But I managed to do something, that I'd never expected to do. I accepted someone's help."
His voice broke, but he tried to remain strong. "I know I've already did one, terrible thing I'll never be able to repent for, but I managed to stop myself from repeating this mistake. I reached out to a hand that was given to me and allowed it to pull me out. You did use to say, that when someone offers us their help, it is only natural to take it, and later return the favor. I know it took me seven years to let it happen, you don't have to remind me - I've always been a slow learner. But, that's what I'm going to do."
He lost. His eyes started to water, as he desperately tried to stop himself. "Despite everything I'd done, despite disappointing you so many times. Hell, you've probably spent the last seven years not sure whether to hate me or worry about me..."
Natsu was now quietly sobbing to himself, his eyes stinging. "So, despite all that, after all these years, I hope I managed to make you proud, for the first time ever. And although I failed to save the others, I will make it up. Not just to you, but all the others as well. I will live on, and continue to make you proud."
Erza was now in tears as well. She stood few meters away, not daring to walk up to him. She had no place there.
Natsu wiped his face off and smiled at the tombstone. "That's why I will start anew. I will take the chance given to me and leave everything behind. I won't let it all drag me down any longer."
He walked up to the side and picked up some flowers. He then placed his poor excuse of a bouquet on the grave and smiled one more time.
"Just you watch." he grinned at the tombstone and turned around, his eyes landing on Erza. She didn;t day anything, but instead wiped her face off as well. She smiled at him when he walked up to her.
"Let's get back. Master Makarov has probably plucked out his remaining hair when we both ran off. Getting in trouble on your very fist day in the guild? You will fit right in." she chuckled.
He smiled at her. "I think I will." He then turned back around and sent one final look at the tombstone. His smile widened, with one final stone finally off his chest.
His new life has just begun.
End of Chapter 14. To be continued in Chapter 15: Settling In.
Aaand finish. God, I really do hope I didn't butcher the ending, it's one of the hardest things in every story and ruining it is relatively easy.
I know some of you may have an issue with Erza crying way too much in this story. And you're right, but my Erza, as I have stated many times already, is different from canon Erza. She's not afraid to show her feelings and with the Tower finally gone, along with her fears, she's a fre woman. So cut her some slack, will ya :D
You might be confused about Silva and his magic. And it's totally okay, that's why I will now list all of the Commandments, along with their magics and their use.
1st Commandment, The God; Silva. Magic: The Snatcher - the ability to steal someones magic and store it inside of the thief's body. It can be used for personal use, or passed on onto other people. The user can store up to 6 magics and use one at a time. In order to steal a magics, physical contact is needed, along with knowledge of how to use it, its limits, its nature and name.
Magics stolen with The Snatcher:
Explosion Magic
Air Magic
Barrier - the ability to block all magical attacks and store their power in a separate dimension. The user can draw this absorbed power out whenever he so desires and use it to attack his opponents. To use it, the user has to remain immobile and the attack must be heavily dependant on magic. Physical attacks will not be blocked.
Rebuild - the ability to reconstruct solid materials according to the user's will. In order to do so, the user must have physical contact with the rebuilt object and must know what its built of and what type of a material it is. His creations are limited to the size of the original material.
Body Enhancement Magic - the ability to boost all physical attributes a human can possibly have, such as speed, power and endurance. The usage is entirely dependant on the user, and can be molded into multiple styles of fighting.
Reverse - the ability to rewind up to 20 minutes of the target's time. It can be used to heal wounds, repair something, or revert something to its previous state. The regression process takes up to 3 minutes, and the more damage has to be rewinded, the less effective it becomes. It cannot be used to bring back the dead.
2nd Commandment, The Time; Arthur. Magic: Sphere - at the cost of his heartbeat, the user can freeze everything around him, giving the false illusion of frozen time. The magic remains active as long as the user's heart is stopped. Maximum time of usage without any health complications - 20 seconds.
3rd Commandment, The Heavens; Jellal. Magic: Heavenly Body Magic.
4th Commandment, The Armor; Dryden. Magic: TakeOver. Killed by Mirajane Strauss
5th Commandment, The Arsenal; Jolene. Magic: Requip. Killed by Gray Fullbuster
6th Commandment, The Body; Grigol. Magic: Body Enhancement Magic. Killed by Natsu Dragneel
7th Commandment, The Mind; Luppi. Magic: Brainwash - this ability allows the user to alter people's memories, control minds of other people, turning them into obedient puppets, telepathy between two people: the user and its target, the complete destruction of someone's mind and transferring minds of other people to different bodies. The two last usages are heavily draining and can lead to death is used incorrectly. The bigger the strain on the user, the more nauseous they become, which greatly cripples the full capabilities of this magic.
Well, with that said, I'm out. Let me know whether you enjoy the chapter, and have a great Sunday!(or it's remaining few hours...heh). Cya!