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And so, the Second Stage of the Exam has begun.
Makarov's instructions were quick, and easy to follow. The remaining candidates were to find the grave of the Fairy Tail's Founder – Mavis Vermillion. No clues, no hints, just a time limit of six hours and the title of S-Class for taking upon finding it. With this in mind, everyone scattered with the thought of how easy this stage was going to be.
Thought being the key word.
10 minutes after leaving, Lucy and Cana found themselves being chased by a giant lizard, too big and tough for them to just defeat. Gray and Loke had to run away from a swarm of bird-like creatures with sharp teeth, Levy and Gajeel stayed quiet behind a rock, with a giant dinosaur lurking around, and Elfman and Evergreen continued to argue while running away from a giant boar.
All candidates were on the defense ever since the stage had started. All but one.
Wendy grimaced and closed her eyes, deafened by the sound of yet another giant animal falling by Natsu's feet. The Dragon Slayer sighed and adjusted his scarf.
"Do they ever end?" he asked himself and walked up to Wendy, taking his backpack from the girl. "Making us look for a grave without any clues...like hell anyone is going to find it in just 6 hours.
"I think this is what Master meant when he said luck will be crucial in this exam." pointed out Wendy.
Natsu sighed and looked at the beaten creature. "You think we should ask it?"
"I don't think that's a good idea." sweatdropped Wendy.
Natsu shrugged and threw his backpack over his shoulder, before continuing on their journey. He tried to figure out where the grave could be hidden, but so far, nothing made sense. He thought about checking out each path from the First Stage, but chances of Makarov hiding something in a place that was so crucial in an earlier stage didn't make sense to him. Then he thought of the Tenrou Tree, and was reminded of its unusual shape.
"Hey, Wendy." he said, as he stopped walking.
The girl bumped into his back upon his sudden halt. "Yes?" she asked in a funny voice, her hand on her sore nose.
"That tree..." he pointed with his finger "doesn't it look suspicious? Especially the top?"
Wendy looked up, taking in the view of the tree's crown. "Yes, it is quite unusual. Do you think that's where the grave is?"
"I don't know, but it's worth a shot. We won't cover the whole island in 6 hours anyway."
Although slightly scared of the upcoming climb, Wendy nodded and followed him deeper into the jungle.
Just after few steps, he stopped once again and quickly snapped his head to the right.
"Is something wrong?" asked him Wendy, slightly scared of his face.
His eyes were sharp and focused, a small scowl replacing his previous, calm expression.
"Do you feel that?" he asked her.
"No." she replied truthfully.
Natsu's eyes narrowed even more. Something was not right here.
Tenrou Island, Fairy Tail's Resting Space
Since the ship back to Magnolia was arriving the next day, S-Class mages had set up a resting space for the spectators and fallen participants of the exam. They were currently in a big tent, with wooden, carved furniture set inside, along with futons in the back corner of the area.
Lisanna carefully watched her sister while cutting vegetables. Mira's forehead was full of veins, the knife she's been using to help her younger sister slowly breaking under her grip. For the past few minutes her patience has been leaving her, with an irritating sound catching by her ears.
"How long are you going to laugh for, you cow?" she growled, the handle of her knife finally giving in.
Erza, who's been snickering for the past few minutes wiped her eyes and raised her hand apologetically. She was wearing blue shorts and an orange t-shirt, her red wristbands she got from Natsu dozing her arms, her hair tied in a ponytail. She was standing behind a giant, steaming pot.
"I...I'm sorry." she choked out and got back to stirring the stew. "It's just...I can't believe they managed to catch you off guard with such a cheap trick. It's very unlike you." she tried to apologize, only to fail and giggle even more. She Requipped a new knife, before grabbing it by the blade and passing it to irritated Mirajane.
Mira scoffed and gently took the blade from the redhead, her face slowly matching the knight's hair color. "I can't believe it myself. That bastard played dirty, I'll never forgive him. Betrayed by my own brother..." she muttered while clumsily cutting the vegetables with her left hand.
Lisanna raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you exaggerating? They were supposed to defeat you, and they did it. Even if a little dirty..." she admitted quietly.
Mira looked at her sister in an outrage and pointed at her with the blade. "So you're taking his side as well?! I should have expected that."
Lisanna met her eyes and simply sighed without replying, before going back to cutting.
"I know I may have laughed a little bit too much." began Erza while wiping her eyes, this time managing to calm down. "But I think it was really nice of you to show your softer side. We don't get to see it too often."
Embarrassed, Mirajane continued her cutting. "Well, that was the last you'll see of it. I will never give a crap about this bastard ever again. He's betrayed my trust."
Lisanna sighed tiredly, knowing full well that this would never turn out to be true, even if she tried. "That reminds me – where are Bickslow and Freed?" she asked.
Erza blew some air onto the ladle and tasted the dish, a satisfied smirk forming on her face afterwards. "They left the island with Gildarts shortly after the First Stage." she replied.
"Already? They should have stayed to the end, and watch who gets the rank!" moaned Lisanna, unable to hide her disappointment.
"It appears they had some important business to attend to." said Erza. She then looked at Juvia, who's been quiet ever since waking up a while ago. "What's wrong?" she asked the rain woman.
Juvia sighed. "I'm disappointed in myself. I've failed to fulfill the promise I made to Gray. We were supposed to face each other in the finals..."
"Don't think of it that way. You did a great job, and you have nothing to be ashamed of." assured her Lisanna.
"She's right. You gave it your all and proved to me, that you are a powerful mage worthy of attending the exam." nodded Erza with pride. The two have actually pushed her quite far during the exam. "As for Gray – he doesn't hold it against you. He told me to tell you that "he'll be waiting". I have no doubt that you will get another chance in the future."
Although it didn't change her mood drastically, knowing that Gray was not disappointed in her lifted Juvia's spirit a little bit.
"By the way, where is Mest?" asked the bluenette. "I haven't seen him since the beginning of First Stage."
"Maybe he got lost?" wondered Lisanna.
"That would be troublesome." noted Erza and stepped away from the stew. "This island is not safe enough to just wander around on. I'll go look for him. Juvia, would you like to help me?"
Juvia blinked in slight surprise, but accepted the offer. "Yes, I'd like to."
"Great." smiled the knight. "You two stay here, we'll be back in a moment." she said to the siblings.
"Okay! Come back soon!" said cheerfully Lisanna. Mira lazily waved at them and took over Erza's spot.
As soon as the pair left the area, Erza turned to Juvia.
"Do you feel anything strange?" she asked.
Juvia blinked in confusion and wondered for a second. "No, I don't believe so. The magic coming from that tree is enormous, but other than that, I don't sense anything else. Is something the matter?" she finished with a small frown.
Erza sighed through her nose and turned her head back to the road. "Ever since we've arrived, I felt like something about this island was off. I hope I'm just being paranoid."
Now Juvia was also feeling a little bit worried.
Elfman and Evergreen continued to make their way through the bushes, a giant boar still tailing behind them. Fatigue was starting to get to them, but fighting was not an option, which Elfman learned the hard way after being blasted away in just one strike.
Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet ended, both of them now flying above a cliff. Instinctively, Elfman grabbed his partner and tried to shield her, as they rolled down the cliff.
With loud thuds they both landed on their back at the bottom, the pig no longer following them, as it stared them down and turned back around.
"Yeah...you better….run." grunted Elfman and slowly sit up, massaging his sore neck. "You ok?" he asked Evergreen.
She groaned and stood up, dusting herself off. "Nothing you should be concerned about."
Elfman sighed and also stood up. "No need to be so fussy. By the way, I've yet to thank you for that cowardly strategy, I wouldn't have come up with such a plan on my own."
"Don't call it cowardly! That was the only way we could have walked past that monster of a sister of yours!"
Elfman opened his mouth to retort, but caught something with the corner of his eye.
They've been approached by a strange young man with black hair and black and white robes, too big to fit his body. His expression was that of mixed boredom and indifference, his messy hair covering a big part of his face.
"People…?" he wondered out loud to himself. "On this island? I thought there wouldn't be anyone..."
Elfman quickly got in a fighting position. "Who are you?" he asked sharply.
"Only members of our guild are permitted on this island." said Evergreen.
The man's eyes widened a little. "A guild? I see...so this island belongs to a guild. I was not aware of that."
Elfman couldn't quite put it together. Although he didn't feel any extraordinary magic from this man, his senses were screaming in danger. He was beyond confused, and he soon let the intruder know that. "I asked you, who are you?!" he yelled and took a step forward.
"No!" screamed the man and raised his hand, signalising Elfman to halt. "Please, do not approach me. Very well, I shall take my leave, but please, do not come any closer."
"What is he talking about?" frowned Evergreen.
"Can we even let him off this easily?" wondered Elfman.
Suddenly, the man's face twisted in a painful grimace, as he clutched his head with his hands. "No...It's coming..." he grunted through his teeth. "The Death Predation...is coming!"
A black sphere began to form around his figure, rapidly expanding to nearby areas. The grass beneath his feet started to wither, losing its colors and turning into ashes. The leaves traveling with the wind have turned into nothingness, as the wave of death marched towards Elfman and Evergeen, both of them unable to move.
The pair felt a strong grip on their heads, as someone forcefully dragged them to the ground, lying on top of them. The wave went over their bodies, taking nearby trees, bushes, as well as animals.
Shortly after, it stopped. Elfman lifted his head off the ground and looked to his left, his eyes landing on a familiar scar and scarf.
"Y-you?!" choked out Elfman.
Natsu released the pair from his grip and turned his attention to the intruder, his eyes wild. Elfman stood up, still shaken up, with shocked but grateful Evergreen giving the Slayer a look of her own. "Don't surprise us like that..." she sighed in relief.
The giant looked over at the black haired man, only to feel his eyes widen in shock, if that was even possible.
He was crying.
The man who's just tried to kill them was now crying, his eyes glued to Natsu's face.
"Natsu..." he muttered in disbelief.
The Dragon Slayer's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Who are you?" he snarled.
"Natsu!" called out a voice, with Wendy running out of the bushes. "What's wrong?! Weren't we supposed to get to the top-" she stopped midway and took the scenery in awe, unsure of what just happened.
"The trees, no...the whole area has withered." noted Evergreen.
"No." Elfman shook his head gently. "It died." he finished, his eyes focused on the dead birds and mice lying on the ground.
"Was that this person's magic?" asked Wendy, now by their side.
"That's not something you see everyday..." noted Ever.
"I asked who the hell are you!" roared Natsu in anger, shaking the trio behind him up. "How do you know my name? I haven't revealed it to anyone for over 6 years. Where did you learn of it? And most of all, what are you doing on this island?! This land belongs to the guild!"
The man did not appear to register the slayer's outrage. "You've really grown up, Natsu...I wanted to see you for so long..."
That did the trick. Without warning, Natsu dashed forward, his fist connecting with the man's jaw in a powerful right hook. This, however, had absolutely no effect, and only slightly tilted his head to the side, no damage dealt what so ever.
"I see." he whispered, a single tear finding its way out of his left eye. "So you're still not capable, huh?"
"He's crying?" asked dumbfounded Wendy.
"This guy just keeps getting creepier." shuddered Evergreen.
The man then locked his eyes with Natsu, the nature of his irises changing. "Run." he whispered.
Black sphere once again formed around him, taking Natsu in as well.
"It's that thing again!" yelled Elfman.
"Natsu!" Wendy called out to him and tried to run in his direction, only to be picked off the ground by Elfman.
"Stupid, don't get near that thing!"
"Get away from me!" ordered Natsu before being swallowed by the black wave.
The area has once again been taken in by death, the remains of nature and animals perishing even more, leaving it a complete wasteland.
The trio threw themselves onto the ground, Elfman tightly clutching Wendy to his chest. After a short while, the magic has calmed down, leaving behind clouds of dust and remains.
"You alright?!" called out Elfman.
"Yeah!" he got in response, with coughing Natsu walking out of the dust cloud.
"Where is he?"
"Ran away. I can't even smell him."
Elfman blinked and narrowed his eyes. "Hey, is it me, or is your scarf..."
Natsu looked down and immediately felt anger building up inside of him. His scarf he got from Igneel, the one thing that was not taken away from him, was now pitch black. He grabbed it and pulled on it, taking the view in. "That bastard..." he snarled.
"So, what are we going to do now?" asked Evergreen. "We can't have a creepy guy like him run freely on the island. Others might not be as lucky as we were."
"Are you suggesting we should stop the exam?" asked her Elfman, not fond of the idea.
"What else is there to do? I don't want anyone dying because of us."
"We don't even know if anyone else will meet him."
"Do you really want to risk lives of other people because of an exam?"
"I don't think he had bad intentions." threw in Wendy. "He didn't look like he wanted to attack us on purpose."
"Do you even hear yourself?" asked Ever in disbelief.
"Anyway, I've never seen this kind of magic before." muttered Elfman and run the ashes of a tree through his fingers. "I know magic can take lives, but magic designed to do it..."
"Which just adds one more reason to why we should stop the exam now, especially since he clearly can't control it. He could take the whole island in if he snapped."
"No."
Natsu joined the conversation, his fist repeatedly clenching and relaxing. He could still feel the sensation of the man's cheek on his skin. He felt like he's just punched a mountain. "If he wanted us dead, he'd have done it already. I'm with Wendy on this one, he probably doesn't want to hurt anyone. I say we continue the exam, but warn everyone we come across, especially Gramps. We can deal with him after the exam is over, we still have a little over 5 hours left."
"Now that is something I can agree on." smirked Elfman.
His partner sighed tiredly and decided to give up. "Don't blame me if something bad happens."
"Let's pretend we haven't seen each other, after all, we are temporary enemies." said Natsu.
Elfman nodded. "Fine by me. We'll go that way."
Natsu gave a nod of his own and signalised Wendy to follow him, as he headed back to their original location. His mind was still with that stranger. He was more than certain they've never met before, so how did he know it was him? Feeling slightly tired, Natsu shook his head and focused on the exam. It was his primary concern for the time being.
"He has woken up." announced an elderly tall man sitting in a throne and raised his right arm, his long, silverwhite beard following the movement of his body, flowing in the air. He was speaking to a crowd of people, with six individuals standing up front in a line.
"The day the great dark mage, Zeref comes back to life, has come. We've looked forward to this moment for a long time, and now, all the keys are finally within my grasp." said the elder and clenched his fist. "Today, we shall awaken what slumbers deep inside Zeref."
"Congratulations, Master Hades." bowed a young woman with black hair.
"Raise your head, Ultear." ordered Hades. "You have done well figuring out his location. It is thanks to you our goal will become reality in a matter of hours."
"Your words honor me greatly."bowed the woman with a smile. "However, it appears there is a small problem we may have to deal with first. The strongest guild in Fiore, Fairy Tail, is now present on the land Zeref resides in. They are a fearsome adversary, one capable of destroying two corners of the Baram Alliance. The confrontation may harvest casualties on both sides."
"You're giving them too much credit, Miss Ultear." threw in someone from the line.
Ultear looked to her right, her eyes landing on a young man with long, spiky blond hair, a condescending smirk glued to his face. "Even if they did manage to take care of those weaklings, they are nothing when compared to us. If they try to do anything funny with us around..."
The man licked his lips, black flames forming around his body. "I'll just burn them to a crisp. I've always wondered what does a burned fairy smell like, I can hardly contain the excitement."
"This carelessness will one day be the cause of your downfall, Zancrow." said a tall humanoid goat. He was wearing a suit, with black sunglasses sitting on the bridge of his nose.
Zancrow extinguished his flames and looked at his comrade. "You say that, but you're looking highly confident as well, Caprico."
"That is because I was born ready for this day. Confidence and carelessness are two different things."
"Aren't you just being stiff?" asked him Zancrow and playfully smacked his stomach with the back of his hand. "There is nothing wrong in a little bit of danger. The thrill of almost being killed in battle is what makes it feel so good." he finished with a sinister smirk.
"Caprico is right, Zancrow." said a young man with silver hair styled into a pompadour, with square glasses on his nose. "You are being not only careless, but vulgar as well. You lack the ability to realise how marvelous and refined this day truly is. It is the day our guild faces its biggest obstacle, and overcomes it in the most beautiful fashion. We shall release our desires and reach Nirvana."
Zancrow frowned. "Now you're just being creepy, man."
"Your jealousy does not reach my ears."
"I'm not jealous."
Next to them was a giant man with pale skin and a face too small for the size of his head. He was breathing very quickly and loudly, his eyes bloodshot. "I..." he wheezed out. "Ifeelthesame!"
"You're talking too fast, Kain!" yelled Zancrow.
"Should I translate?" asked a young girl with pink, short hair. She was wearing a helmet in the shape of wings placed on both sides of her face, as well as a red cape hanging over her pinkish-black battle suit.
"That won't be necessary." said Ultear. "Are you planning on fighting as well, Meredy?"
Meredy nodded. "Yes. Fight. I will fight."
Hades laughed gently at the eagerness of his subordinates and stood up from his throne, clapping. "Interesting! Truly interesting! They have yet to experience true darkness, for the absolute darkness lurks in the abyss. Today, we shall drag them down into this very abyss. Today, demons and fairies will squabble - eat and be proud, be eaten and scatter! Show me your worth, my Seven Kin of Purgatory!"
The Kin all stood up straight and bowed to their master. "Yes, Master!" they chanted, some of them barely able to contain their excitement.
Hades smirked and looked out the window. "This is the decisive battle, Fairy Tail."
Lucy stared into the horizon, her head supported by her right hand, which was resting on her knees. She didn't even realise her head was slowly, but surely sliding off her palm, and as soon as it did, she dropped her head low and sighed tiredly.
"Figured out anything?" asked her Cana, also tired from thinking.
Lucy shook her head slowly in disappointment. "How are we supposed to find anything without a single hint? I have absolutely no idea what to do." she moaned.
Canna covered her lips with her fingers and wondered for a moment. "Maybe that's the problem?" she asked after a while.
Lucy blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Do we really have no clues?" continued Cana. "I've participated in this exam many times now, so it's just a hunch, but all of the tests I've taken were rational and made sense once given a thought. There has to be a hidden clue somewhere, we've just yet to see it."
"So, you're suggesting that this exam is not all about luck, but intelligence as well?"
"Exactly."
Lucy frowned. "Maybe it's supposed to be some sort of a puzzle, with words used as elements?"
"Words?" laughed Cana. "Well, we are searching for a grave, so maybe stuff related to death? Death, end of the line, funeral, coffin, tragedy? Demise?"
"Did you really have to use such grim terms?" shuddered Lucy, making Cana send her a teaseful grin.
"Yeah, I guess your analogies would be better. When people die, they turn into stars and all that."
Suddenly, Lucy's eyes widened. "That's it." she whispered in disbelief. She then beamed and jumped up. "I know where the grave is!" she exclaimed happily and grabbed Cana's hand, dragging her into the trees.
"I have no idea how you've managed to figure anything out from this gibberish, but as expected! You rock, Lucy!" cheered Cana with her free hand.
As the girls vanished behind the trees, Gray and Loke peeked out from behind nearby bushes, sinister smirks glued to their faces.
"I told you following them would pay off." said Gray, proud of himself. "Levy might be book smart, but when it comes to weird stuff like this, Lucy is the queen."
"And here I thought I couldn't fall for her more than I already have." sighed Loke with misty eyes.
Gray ignored him. "I knew it - this exam was all about intelligence, greed and-"
"Backstabbing our guildmates in the back?" Loke finished his thought in amusement.
"Yup." nodded shamelessly Gray. "Come on, let's follow them." he stood up and carefully followed the pair, with amused Loke following him in suit.
Levy covered her ears for the 5th time since the exam started, her patience starting to wear thin.
Gajeel was, to say the least, displeased with the construction of the exam, dissatisfied with both stages and their lack of luck in finding other contestants.
"First they leave me hanging with that stupid "Battle" banner, only to let us pass for free, now they're telling us to find a grave...What the hell is wrong with this exam?!" yelled irritated Gajeel. "And most of all..."
He changed his right hand into an iron club and struck a giant snake that had just appeared before them, knocking it out instantly. "What is the deal with these stupid animals! What is this place, a zoo?!"
Levy could feel veins popping on her forehead. "Maybe if you stopped shouting all the time, nothing would have found us!" she yelled.
"I can't help it!" growled Gajeel. "All I wanted was to clobber Salamander and Titania! Hell, Laxus too, if I got to him. But instead, I had to pick a path, and now we have to walk around this island looking for a grave!"
"So you don't care about me?! All you want to do is fight?"
Gajeel calmed down instantly. "I never said that."
"But that's how you act!"
Levy sighed and massaged her temples, her headache getting stronger. "Why did you even partner up with me?"
Gajeel blinked in confusion. "To make you S-Class, obviously."
"Are you sure you're doing this for me, and not for yourself? That you're not just using me, because you were not picked by Master?"
The man's eyes narrowed, as he turned around to fully face her. "Am I really that low in your eyes?" he asked, visibly hurt by her words.
Levy came to immediately regret her words. "No, of course not. I'm sorry." she muttered. "It's just...all you ever do is fight everybody. I'm weak and small, so there is no way I can pass this exam... I'm just a liability."
Gajeel stared at her for a moment, before smirking and patting her on the head. "Then just get stronger. That's the only option you've got right now."
Levy bit her lip. "Excuse me." she said and gently took his arm off her head, before walking away.
"Where are you going?" he called after her.
"Private business." she threw in answer and disappeared behind the trees.
As she walked forward, she couldn't get her mind off of it. Why was she even chosen? She hadn't done anything remarkable all year long. She was weak when compared to others, not to mention her size. All she was good for was reading, so why did Master let her take part in this exam? And why did he care?
Realising that she may have overreacted, Levy sighed tiredly and turned around to go back. Then, she heard movement in the bushes, and looked back, curious.
"Gajeel?" she called out, thinking it may have been her partner following her.
Two giant figures jumped out of the bushes. One of them was a humanoid dog clad in a samurai armor and a kabuto helmet, a katana readied by his left hip. The other, taller, resembled a chicken, a black robe covering his body.
Before Levy could register anything, she spotted a blade right in front of her eye. With reflexes she'd never suspect herself of being capable of, Levy leaned back just in time to avoid a fatal strike. She fell onto her bottom, her headband splitting in two, with a small cut opening on her forehead.
"Wha...Who are you?!" she questioned while on the ground.
The chicken forcefully took a hold of both of her arms and brought them above her head, pinning her to the ground. The dog walked up to her and raised his blade above his head, ready to deal the decisive blow.
"You're first." he muttered and brought the blade down.
Was this it? Was she really going to die, just like that? Ten seconds is all it took for her to lose the most valuable thing she had? Images started to flash before her eyes. All of the books she's read, her friends, Gajeel.
Gajeel.
Levy closed her eyes, subconsciously accepting her fate. However, the blow did not come. Instead, her ears picked up the sounds of two pieces of metal clanking against each other, a dull impact and a grunt of pain, with something warm falling onto her face.
The bookworm slowly opened her eyes, which then widened in an instant, both of them filling up with tears. Before her stood Gajeel, his left, hardened arm he used to block the sword with raised above his head. His right hand was turned into a club, which he used to strike the chicken straight in the stomach, which made him cough up blood that fell on Levy's face.
The chicken flew backwards, and with his right hand now free, Gajeel could use it to strike the dog. He struck with his club, which the creature ducked under and jumped back on his own, receiving no damage.
"Looking for someone as small as you in this jungle is quite troublesome." said Gajeel, his eyes sharp and focused on his opponent. "So don't you leave my side ever again."
Too relieved to argue, Levy wiped her eyes and grinned. "Okay." she nodded. She stood up and placed her back against Gajeel's, her attention now focused on the bird.
"So? Who are we dealing with? Did Gramps place these guys in here to make the exam tougher?"
Levy shook her head. "I doubt that. Judging by this mark...they are probably from Grimoire Heart, the strongest dark guild in Fiore. But why would they be here?"
"If they haven't been invited, then they must have come on their own. I guess wherever there's work, there are accidents as well." smirked Gajeel. "If you ask me, stuff like this should be handled by those considered to be S-Class rather easily. Otherwise, this exam would have no purpose."
"But this is Grimoire Heart! One of the corners of Baram Alliance!" reminded him Levy.
"If I can't get over something this small, then I am not suited for the rank. That's all there is to it. Same with the others."
"We can't just attack them without a warning!"
The dog swiped his sword to the side and laughed mockingly at the girl's words. "See, this is why I keep telling you official guilds are pathetic, Kawazu! Rules, morality, they're all worth shit when you're about to die!"
Kawazu chuckled. "As if rules applied to war! How ridiculous!"
Gajeel's eyes narrowed. "War?"
"What is your goal?!" asked Levy, trying to buy some time.
The dog grinned in a sinister fashion and raised his blade above his head. "To exterminate all fairies from this world!" he roared and swiped down.
A giant sign with foreign characters formed in front of him. Along with it, a horrible, painful sound echoed throughout the area, causing Gajeel and Levy to cover their ears in pain. because of his enhanced senses, Gajeel suffered immeasurably, his head splitting in two.
"My...My ears!" cried out Levy.
"Sounds from words?!" roared Gajeel. "This is the same magic as yours!"
Levy opened her eyes and took the sight in, dots connecting in her brain. "It's Solid Script from Orient!"
Using the distraction to his favor, Kawazu kicked the ground and dashed at the pair.
"Gajeel! Behind us!" alarmed Levy to no avail. He was completely overpowered by the sound and failed to spot her warning. Seeing that it was pointless to talk to him, Levy grabbed him by his jacket and dragged him down to the ground, both of them evading Kawazu, as he slashed at them with his sharp claws.
Finally seeing the enemy, Gajeel quickly stood up and braced himself.
The chicken puffed out his chest in a fashion similar to his Roar and jumped upwards.
EGG BUSTER!
He spat out dozens of eggs, which flew in the pair's direction at incredible speed. Discarding his initial shock of the individual's magic, Gajeel quickly hardened his body in iron scales and blocked majority of the eggs. Two of them managed to pass right by him and struck Levy in her torso, making her gasp for air.
"Levy!" called out worried Gajeel.
He didn't get a chance to check up on her. With the corner of his eye he spotted something above him, so he quickly grabbed her and jumped back, avoiding the dog's slash at the last possible moment. The samurai did not let go and followed the Dragon Slayer, his blade readied by his right hip.
Because of this ruckus I can't even hear his footsteps! growled Gajeel in his mind and ducked in order to avoid a stab aimed at his head. He grabbed the blade with his left hand and turned his right one into a club. Pulling the blade towards his figure, Gajeel used the momentum to strike the dog in the abdomen. He managed to raise his left leg just in time to block the blow with his knee. Feeling that holding the blade for longer than necessary could end up badly, the Dragon Slayer leg go of the weapon, which allowed his opponent to jump back.
Kawazu jumped upwards once again, readying another wave of eggs. In the meantime, Levy managed to get a hold of herself and write her own set of scripts.
SOLID SCRIPT: SILENCE!
Her words made contact with their oriental counterpart, shattering them into pieces. Silence fell in the area, shocking all three males, with Kawazu failing to deliver his attack.
"The sound is back to normal." whispered Gajeel, before curving his lips into a sinister smirk.
"You canceled out my words?! You bitch!" roared the dog, turning his attention to Levy.
IRON DRAGON'S HARD FIST!
His plans were ruined by Gajeel, who planted his hardened fist deep into his gut, making him cough up blood.
"Yomazu!" called out his partner and puffed out his chest.
EGG BUSTER!
The eggs flew in Levy's direction, meant to catch her off guard, however this time, she was prepared.
SOLID SCRIPT: FIRE!
The eggs were taken by flames shaped into a word, all of them turning into ashes, much to their owner's shock.
"How dare you!" roared Yomazu and headbutted Gajeel, before jumping back. He put his sword at hip level and slashes horizontally, however this time, his range was much different. Gajeel was forced to lean back as hard as he could to avoid being cut in half, the trees behind him showing him his possible fate.
Yomazu regained his posture and struck once again, this time at an angle. Unable to dodge properly, Gajeel blocked it with his right arm, his forearm splitting in the process along with his scales.
In the meantime, Levy tried to deal with Kawazu's constant waves of eggs, which kept increasing in numbers. Unable to burn them all, she helplessly put up her arms to protect herself, as multiple projectiles struck her at once, dull pain spreading all over her body.
"Levy!" called out Gajeel and tried to run up to her.
"Are you in any position to look away?!" yelled Yomazu and slashes vertically at the Dragon Slayer, who sidestepped to his right and kicked the ground as hard as he could.
"Out of the way!" he roared and struck the dog in the face, breaking his nose in the process. This caused him to fly backwards, as he slid on the ground, using his plunged into the ground sword to slow himself down.
Yomazu breathed heavily and pulled the blade out, before raising it up to right side of his face. "You seem to be distracted by something. Allow me to take care of it."
It took Gajeel a second to realise that the blade was not aimed at him. In despair he kicked the ground as hard as he could and ran towards Levy, the flying sword strike moving in slow motion in her direction.
Gajeel managed to get in front of her just in time to change the trajectory of the attack and feel it pierce his left side, as it came out on the other side, missing Levy completely. He grit his teeth in pain and fell onto his right knee, finding it hard to catch a breath, his iron scales falling off his skin..
"Gajeel!" called out Levy and ran up to him despite her injuries.
"Is that all you've got, Fairy Tail?" asked Yomazu and relaxed his posture, with Kawazu walking up to him. "Pathetic. At this rate, we will take care of you lot before the main squad appears."
Gajeel clenched his fist on the ground, grass trapped in his fist. "Main squad, you say?" he asked in-between his heavy breaths.
"Exactly that. The entirety of Grimoire Heart is on their way as we speak." confirmed the samurai.
Levy's eyes widened in terror. "No way...But that's-"
"Levy." cut her off Gajeel. "Run."
Levy blinked in confusion. "What are you saying?! I can't just leave you!"
"This is not just a friendly bickering between two rival guilds. This is going to turn into an all out war if we let it happen. Get away from here."
"But I-"
"Hurry up and get out of here!" roared Gajeel, now angry. "Let everyone know what is going to happen, only you can do it now! I can take care of these pieces of filth on my own!"
Too shaken up to even answer, Levy nodded lightly and stood up. However, before she did, she swiped her fingers to the side, making a giant piece of iron fall in front of Gajeel.
"Don't die." she ordered him quietly and run off.
"As if we'd let you escape!" exclaimed Kawazu and prepared to chase after the girl, only to be struck in the beak once again.
Yomazu watched his friend fall to the group, a scowl forming on his face. "You bastard..." he growled, as he watched Gajeel devour the iron.
With the last bite, the Dragon Slayer sighed and punched the ground so hard it shook, making his opponents know that he was no longer on the same level as he was before.
"So your goal is a war with Fairy Tail, huh?" asked them Gajeel, before blowing into a mad laughter.
"Has he lost it?" questioned Yomazu.
"He intends to take both of us on alone, he must have snapped." taunted his partner.
Gajeel calmed down and took a deep breath. "Oh, don't mind me. I was just hit by a bit of nostalgia, that's all." he grinned, the image of victorious Gray standing over him in the ruins of his previous guild still haunting him to this day. "I've been in your position before, and I just can't wait to make you feel the same way I did back then."
Yomazu readied his blade, not amused by the Slayer's attitude. "Your threats are of no use for us. You will die here, nothing is going to change that."
Gajeel grinned even wider, iron scales growing on his body once again. "I'm glad she's not here. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to take care of you pieces of trash properly." he said, as he stood up, ready for Round 2.
Levy ran through the forest as fast as she could, her lungs and throat burning, her body heavy and aching. Although she was at her limit, she could not afford to take a break. She had to let everyone know about the tragedy that was about to happen.
All of a sudden, her leg was caught up on a tree root, which caused her to fall. Trying to keep her balance, she fell to her left side, which happened to be the edge of a big slope. She rolled down, her body catching every stone, root and branch on her way down, banging her up even more. After what felt like a minute, her body has finally planted itself on the ground, the pain almost making her black out.
With misty vision, she saw someone squat in front of her, blue shorts and female legs covering most of her field of vision.
"...vy? Levy? Levy?!" she heard someone call to her.
It took her everything she had to look up, her eyes becoming teary at the familiar sight of long scarlet hair.
"Erza..." choked out Levy, glad beyond belief.
"What happened to you?! These injuries are horrible!" gasped Juvia and also sat down.
Erza gently picked the bluenette up and places her head on her lap, taking in the extent of her wounds in the meantime. "What happened?" she asked.
The bookworm grimaced and took Erza by the collar, pulling her down. "Erza...Gajeel...Grimoire Heart...on this island..."
Although the message was messy, it was more than enough to let the knight realise, that something terrible has happened.
All three men dashed forward at the same time, Gajeel's wound temporarily treated thanks to the food he got from Levy. He raised his right hand, signalising a punch, which made Yomazu put up his blade in order to block it. Glad that his feint paid off, the Slayer dropped his hand and puffed his cheeks out.
IRON DRAGON'S ROAR!
Yomazu was swallowed by a torrent of iron blades and bits, which forced Kawazu to throw himself to the side in order to avoid the damage. The samurai, however, managed to protect himself at the last possible second, a giant word Defense standing between him and the Roar.
Kawazu raised his head upwards and spat out dozens of eggs into the air, which then started to fall downwards, all of them aimed at Gajeel.
HEAVY EGG RAIN!
Unable to jump back, Gajeel quickly snapped his teeth shut, which canceled the roar. He then raised both of his arms upwards and turned them into spears.
IRON DRAGON'S LANCE: DOUBLE DEMON LOGS!
Multiple spears launched out of his arms, effectively knocking down all eggs coming in his direction. In the meantime, Yomazu swiped his sword through the last bits of the Roar and readied himself to strike the Slayer. Spotting this with the corner of his eye, Gajeel aimed his right arm at the dog, the spears now flying in his direction. This caught the samurai off guard, and forced him to dodge and knock down all of the incoming spears. One of them plunged itself deep into his right shoulder, making him hiss from pain.
Kawazu tried to launch more eggs, however Gajeel had enough of them. Turning his left arm into a sword, he shifted his weight and slid on his feet along with his extended arm.
IRON DRAGON'S SWORD!
The strike caught Kawazu's stomach, forcing his feet off the ground, his body dragged in the air by the blade. With one final push, Gajeel made the chicken slide off his blade, his stomach cut open, blood splattering out of the cut. Kawazu fell onto his back, defeated, a small pool of blood forming around his body.
"Kawazu!" yelled enraged Yomazu and swung his blade at Gajeel, who blocked it with his hardened left forearm.
"You came to war without being prepared to lose something?" asked him the Dragon Slayer. "You weak piece of trash!" he roared and punched him with a swift right hook.
Yomazu shook the strike off and answered with a right kick to the Slayer's left side, catching his wound with his foot. Gajeel hissed in pain, his wound opening once again. This left him unguarded for just enough time to let Yomazu unleash a barrage of stabs and slashes, all of them dodged, although with great effort.
"Casualties are considered only when the conflict is between two even in strength forces!" yelled the samurai. "To lose even a single man to your pathetic guild is a disgrace to the name of Grimoire Heart! For bringing shame to us, you will die!" he roared and cut through Gajeel's scales, opening his left shoulder in the process.
Gajeel clenched his teeth in pain and retaliated with a Hard Fist to the gut, which made Yomazu buckled over in agony. Gajeel used this opportunity to join his hands above his head and bring them down onto the back of his opponent's neck. Yomazu dropped to his knees, only to be then kicked in the ribs. The dog rolled on the ground, his helmet falling off his head. Gajeel followed him, ready to deliver the finishing blow. Yomazu had other plans, however, and swung his blade so fast Gajeel had only a split of a second to lean back to avoid losing his head.
"You!" roared the samurai and swung horizontally, sending yet another giant strike, which Gajeel ducked under. "You deserve to be killed by me!" this time, Yomazu swung downwards, which forced Gajeel to throw himself to his right.
The Slayer rolled on the ground, his wounds letting him know of their presence. This froze him in place for a moment, which gave his opponent just enough time to catch up to him. The dog stabbed right at his heart, which was caught with Gajeel's right hand, resulting in a power struggle between both men.
"I won't lose..." growled Gajeel, the images of his defeats to Natsu and Jolene still haunting him in his dreams. "There is no way in hell I am losing here!" he roared and snapped the blade downwards, breaking it into pieces.
"My...my sword!" gasped Yomazu in shock.
Gajeel put the remains of the blade into his mouth and chewed fiercely, before swallowing and releasing a deafening roar, his magic power increasing in the process. He clapped his hands above his head, both of them glowing with a bright green light, a giant blade growing out of both of his arms.
SECRET DRAGON SLAYER ARTS! KARMA DEMON IRON GOD SWORD!
Gajeel brought the blade down, effectively catching Yomazu in the swing. He cut the dog open from chin to waist, his armor breaking into tiny pieces, blood splattering out of the wound. Yomazu slid on the ground for several feet before coming to a halt, as he lost consciousness. Gajeel took a couple of deep breaths and released his magic, before dropping to his knee. Although he'd suffered more injuries than he was planning on, he was still good to go if needed.
He looked at his fallen enemies, a small sense of pride and confidence sparkling a new inside of him. He'd been on the receiving end for far too long. It felt good to be back.
Suddenly, his ears picked up a quiet sound of choked laughter. Shocked that he was still conscious, Gajeel looked at Yomazu, who stared into the blue sky, his eyes wide and bloodshot.
"Celebrate...while you still can...Fairy Tail." he choked out, gargling on blood. "Mages even I can't stand up to...are coming...The Seven Kin of Purgatory are on their way! It's over for you lot! Over!" he laughed maniacally in his final moments, before his voice died, as he passed away.
Gajeel stared at his opponent's corpse, cold sweat running down his face. After his last encounter with a dark guild, his memories were far from pleasant. Gritting his teeth in pain, he managed to stand up and looked into the horizon, as if expecting to spot the approaching enemy.
"Damn it all to hell..."
End of Chapter 21. To be continued in Chapter 22: One Of The Kin
Whew, finally over. Before you point it out - Gajeel's actions will be mentioned and treated accordingly. I have decided to kill Yomazu off, mostly because he has no place in the future of this arc, and quite frankly, he shouldn't even be able to move, let alone fight with these injuries. Therefore, I have decided to make Gajeel kill him in the result of a battle. This story is rated M for a reason.
I have also implemented some original bits into the battle in the second half of the chapter, as well as original bits and dialogue in the first one. I despise covering canon material, so I'm trying to alter it accordingly, and spice it up with original bits. Most of the fights in this arc will be mixed up with my own takes, so I hope you'll like them.
I hope you liked this chapter. Make sure to pm me, or leave a review. See you next time!