It's a little early, but on the 29th of May Of Inner Demons turns 4. Never have I thought I'd still be writing this story, nor that I'd amass such a large amount of amazing readers when I posted the first chapter. I am genuinely grateful for your support over the years, even if the quality of writing had fallen off in places. I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Jackal glared at Natsu with hateful, cold eyes, the blood dripping down his face burning like a badge of shame. He was no stranger to seeing his own blood, but to be overpowered to this extent? No one has ever managed to jump the demon like that, and Jackal was about to make sure no one would ever again.
"Mister Michello, you must evacu-" Lucy was about to say, but it was already too late. The elder was already running away, his small figure making its way through the rubble of his house, having left his granddaughter behind. The blonde sighed in annoyance, but felt assured after having realized their attacker hadn't noticed, and neither has Michelia, thankfully. Lucy pulled her close and stood before her like a shield, for she knew they were in for a destructive show. She intended to start running as soon as first blows were thrown.
Natsu's pivot shifted. In an instance he was right in front of the demon, whose expression changed at his enemy's speed. He clawed at him with his hand. already charged with an explosion, but Natsu dodged out of the way. He clenched his right fist and struck the demon's jaw with a wild overhead, knocking him back and drawing even more blood. Jackal grit his teeth and blew up the floor before him, before jumping back. Natsu followed him through the smoke, completely uncaring of the danger of Jackal's explosions, and struck yet again. This time, however, his fist fell on the demon's raised left arm, which blocked the punch. He felt Natsu try and push through the block, but with no result, which gave Jackal a small boost of confidence.
Jackal smirked from behind his guard. "You're strong, I'll give ya that. But there's one thing ya didn't take into account..." he said with a nervous chuckle. "I ain't usin' magic. My explosions are curses, and there's something special about them-"
His sentence was cut off by Natsu's seemingly blocked punch breaking through Jackal's guard like a hot knife cutting through butter. By merely flexing his arm a little more, Natsu shattered whatever confidence Jackal had regained after the initial strike, and made the demon begin to fall to the ground. That never happened, however, as Natsu grabbed Jackal by the collar of his shirt and punched him again. He then punched him in the stomach, so hard he coughed up blood and wheezed in agony. Jackal tried to attack, but it was rendered useless before he even raised his arm, for Natsu grabbed him by the hair and delivered a devastating knee to his face that most likely broke his nose, if the horrible sound of a cracking bone was any indicator of that, and sent his whole body flying upwards. While still in the air, Natsu delivered a swift right cross to the jaw and sent the demon flying across the ruins of the house. As he bounced off debris and pieces of wood, Natsu chased after him, with no signs of wanting to stop the onslaught.
This one-sided beatdown was enough to make Michello briefly stop in his tracks, as he watched it in both awe and fear. I've heard this guild was full of powerful young mages, especially him, but to this extent?!
"Isn't this too much...?" Michelia asked and visibly cringed at Jackal's screams of pain coming from within the dust that was raised by their fight.
"Not in this case, no." Lucy said and turned around to check up on Michello. He was gone, most likely making his way into the town. "Hurry, we have to get out of here!"
Michelia nodded and started to follow the girls, as the sounds of battle echoed behind them. All three of them turned their heads back upon hearing a scream of pain coming from the house, and upon doing so they spotted Jackal's figure flying up from within the dust. He was covered in his own blood and burn marks, his right ear missing a piece.
The demon grit his teeth in fury, his fear being slowly overshadowed by anger and embarrassment. This piece of filth dares lay his hands on me?!
Said piece of shit kicked off the ground and was making his way through the air to follow the demon. Jackal turned around and joined his hands together, before unleashing a powerful explosion at Natsu. The Dragon Slayer lit up his hands and used his flames to maneuver out of its way. He then propelled himself upwards and stopped just above Jackal.
FIRE DRAGON'S TALON!
Whilst upside down, Natsu kicked Jackal in the neck so hard his eyes lost their light for a second. He then dragged his leg down and sent the demon flying towards the ground, which he crashed into so hard the entire property began to shake. Natsu then propelled himself downwards with his ignited legs and landed flush on Jackal's torso, breaking several ribs upon impact. Jackal coughed up blood, some of it landing on Natsu's face, but he paid no attention to that. Instead, he raised his hands and joined them above his head, before bringing them down much like his new Master liked to do.
FIRE DRAGON'S JAW!
The impact of this spell was enough to break the floor even more, and the two fell down into the house's basement that miraculously remained uncovered thus far. Once the dust settled down, Natsu breathed out, with steam coming out of his mouth, and stood over Jackal's broken, unconscious figure, as he laid sprawled on his back with blood covered most of his body, and his eyes rolled back into his head.
"Don't you dare think I'm the monster here." he told the demon coldly. "You deserve so much worse than this.
"And there's that." Lucy said upon checking out the hole and took out her communication lacrima.
Michelia was in shock. "Is it really over? That looked..."
"Easy?" Wendy finished for her with a smile. "Yes, we don't usually have it that way. This might be a first in a very long time."
"Don't drop your guard yet." Natsu told them as he climbed out of the hole. His right hand then began to glow and he Requipped a piece of rope, or rather sent it back after using it to tie Jackal. "They didn't get Laxus by playing fair. Where's the old fart?"
"He ran into the town." Carla said.
"You sure it's okay to leave him there?" Lucy asked.
"I checked his mouth, nothing in it, he doesn't have pockets either. We should be safe." he said and cracked his neck.
"Or are you?"
Natsu quickly turned on his heel and faced the voice coming out of the hole. Lucy ceased trying to activate the lacrima and got in front of Michelia, and so did Wendy. Jackal emerged from the hole, some of his wounds already healed. The remains of Natsu's rope were hanging off his hands, before dropping to the floor.
Although his face was still bloodied and hard to make anything out of, despite the healing, his eyes remained the same. They stared at Natsu, and they burned with pure hatred. "Quite a number ya did on me, you fire breathing prick." he growled through his gritted teeth. "But no matter, you'll be dealt with shortly. Thanks for the intel, by the way." he pointed at Carla. "Makes the hunt easier."
Natsu frowned. He took a step towards Jackal, who raised his hand. "Stop right there! I don't want ya anywhere near me!" he yelled.
"Too bad." Natsu told him and prepared to charge.
"Ya really should have listened to me." Jackal began to cackle. "My curse ain't like your precious magic! Tell me, how many times have you struck me?"
Natsu looked at him, confused. He didn't know the answer to this question, and his face expressed as much.
"Figured. Well, I have. 46 to be exact, more than enough to leave nothing to bury."
Natsu's eyes widened. He looked at his hands and rest of his body, which began to glow more and more with each passing second. Without even thinking, he dashed forward towards Jackal, who was already jumping back with a smile on his face that suit the devil himself. Before the others could even realize what was about to happen Natsu was swallowed by a massive explosion that towered over the ruins of the house and sent all the girls flying back through the debris, just barely outside of the splash zone.
Once all the flames and dust settled down, Lucy felt safe enough to get out from behind the giant piece of debris she was using as cover. She wiped her dirty face off and squinted. Through the dust and smoke she spotted Natsu, who was still standing. His clothing was ragged, especially the sleeves of his grey shirt and the right pantleg of his black pants, with blood flowing down his face and lips. Although he was in one piece, the combined explosions have clearly dealt a number on him, as he slowly fell to his knees.
His ears were ringing so much he felt the unbearable urge to smash his head against the floor to make it stop. Although even if he tried he couldn't, because his entire body was stiff and unwilling to listen to him. His vision was blurry and he could taste metal, which did not come from the blood getting into his mouth. His shaking eyes spotted Jackal whose hoarse cackle died as soon as he noticed, that the Dragon Slayer was still in one piece. His face expressed both shock and disbelief, but he quickly regained his composure and instead left the area to chase after Michello.
Noticing this, Lucy cursed under her nose and began to run after the demon, but not without calling out to Wendy. "Make sure they're both okay! Carla, come with me! she called out to the tabby, who merely nodded and grabbed the blonde by the shirt, before flying off.
"On it!" Wendy called back and was already healing the small cut on Michelia's leg. She was in shock and dirty, but otherwise unscathed. Natsu, on the other hand, was slowly regaining his grasp on both reality and his own body. The situation turned into a desperate race for time, and failure was not an option.
Makarov massaged his tired eyes and got back to staring at his unconscious grandson. It'd been hours since he's been brought back yet only now has the elder mustered enough courage to come visit. He sat in the quiet, dimmed room, the sound of the curtains flowing gently in the wind being the only sound that could cover the rustled breathing of Laxus and the Thunder Legion.
"I know you can't hear me, which is probably the only reason I might be able to say this out loud..." the elder said quietly. "But I have never been more scared than the moment they brought you in here, covered in your own blood and gasping for air. I don't think I'd be able to live with myself had you died. It was me who told you to get away for a day. After this whole...ordeal with your father, after Gildarts...I don't think I could bare losing even more family."
Makarov took a deep breath to compose himself and rolled up to Laxus' bed. He grabbed his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "We'll get them for this." he told him and rolled out of the room. Upon closing the door behind, he spotted Cana standing on the opposite end of the floor. She held a lacrima in her hand with Gray's face on it.
A minute later Makarov was downstairs, now with a drink in his hand that he desperately needed. "And you're sure it's him?" he asked.
Gray gulped and turned around to look at the grotesque image behind him. The remains of an elderly, bald man laid in a deep pool of blood, with his bits and pieces scattered all over the place. The five Council members given to him as protection were also in pieces, but much less brutally. Juvis was trying to see their faces, but it was hard to do because of the hardened blood. Whoever did this took extreme care to brutalize the poor Sage before ending his life, and it made Gray's blood pump faster with rage.
"Yeah." he said in a flat voice and swallowed. "No survivors."
Makarov punched the armrest of his wheelchair in frustration. "Get back immediately. I shall deliver the report." he said and with a nod, Gray and Juvia disconnected. "Any word from Elfman and Lisanna?"
Cana's face was pale, with sweat running down her face. "They called while you were upstairs. They didn't make it, either."
"So that's three dead." Makarov said quietly and began contacting the Council. "Let us all hope Natsu and the others are doing better than we are."
Lucy and Carla made their way through the air and were now entering the town. The smell of burning wood and hair was enough to make the blonde gag, on top of the black smoke that rose up high into the air. The people were screaming and crying, despair and shock still keeping their grasp on their hearts. Those more fortunate were trying to help their neighbors and friends, but in many cases all appeared to be for naught. Many children stood by the ruins of their houses and cried for their parents, who were most likely buried under the burnt rubble, and Lucy could have sworn she saw a mother continue to run through the town while holding its child severed hand.
"This is terrible..." Lucy said under her breath. She then spotted Michello running through the crowd and motioned at Carla to let her down. They landed just ahead of the elder. "Mister Michello, come to me, please!" she pleaded.
The elder stopped in his tracks and began to run in the opposite direction. "This is all your fault! You brought him here! This is your fault!" he croaked and tried to run away in the opposite direction. He didn't get even two good steps in before he spotted Jackal staring down at him from top of a nearby house, his grin wide from ear to ear.
"Found ya!" he hummed and clawed at the elder. Lucy quickly tackled the Sage and felt the ground behind her blow up, which pushed them both forward. Jackal clicked his tongue in annoyance and jumped down from the house.
Fed up with this ungrateful, spiteful old fart, Lucy forcefully pushed him behind her and grabbed her key bag, before summoning Taurus. The spirit roared and charged at the demon with his axe held high above his head, before bringing it down with everything he had. Jackal, whose expression didn't change from the total nonchalance at the blonde's struggle, merely caught it with his right hand. Taurus' eyes widened in shock, and so did Lucy's. He caught it bare-handed?!
"Quit wasting my town, you bitch." Jackal scoffed and put his hand in front of Taurus' face, before blowing him up. The spirit toppled to the ground with smoke covering his face, before vanishing and going back to his realm. Lucy began to panic and grabbed Aquarius' key while running towards a nearby fountain, but before she could summon her Jackal hit her with one of his explosions. She cried out in pain and was blown back into a meat stand, which she shattered upon impact.
Jackal turned to Michello and smirked. "We're gonna have some fun, ya old prick. Huntin' ya cost me a lot of pain, and you're gonna pay me back for that!"
Michello tried to run, but before he could even take a single step his right leg blew up. He fell to the floor and cried out in pain, his right leg burned and trembling, but still in tact. Jackal made sure to limit his curse enough to cause damage to the elder, but not tear him apart.
"Stop this!" Lucy roared on top of her lungs and summoned Loke.
"Got it, my princess!" he said and charged at Jackal, who tried catching his punch with his hand. That cost him dearly and Loke's Regulus Impact caved Jackal's face much like Natsu's initial strike did, mostly due to the fact he was not expecting Loke to be that much stronger than Taurus. He quickly recollected himself and hit Loke with an explosion, which he endured without much trouble. He managed to get two more his on the demon before he lost his patience and blasted Loke away with a full-power blast that nearly knocked him out. He crashed right next to Lucy and simply stared at the sky, shell shocked and unable to fight for the time being.
"You're pissin' me off, blondie." Jackal growled. "But no worries, I know just the way to get ya back."
He aimed his left hand at Michello and coated him in a red bubble that lifted him off his feet. He then aimed his right hand at the nearby crowd and picked out a pregnant girl, not much older than Lucy. He then licked his lips and brought them both together to hold them in front of Lucy, who now was standing on top of a yellow magic circle.
"We're gonna play a game." Jackal said and cackled. "I will kill one of them and you're going to make the choice. But, there's a twist! You're currently standing on top of a mine I placed under ya just before I grabbed these two. If ya can't make a choice between these two, you can always choose yourself!"
Lucy grit her teeth in pure fury. "Do you have no regard for human lives?! Do you even realize what you're doing?"
Jackal's smile faded. "Don't push your luck, human." he told her in a voice so cold it sent shivers down Lucy's spine. "Or I will blow up all three of you."
"What are you doing, you useless sow!" Michello screamed and banged on his bubble. "You were sent here to protect me, how can you even hesitate?!"
"Please..." the pregnant girl pleaded to Jackal. "Please, I have a family!"
Jackal stared her down like she was a piece of garbage floating in a puddle. "What of it?" he asked. "Ya think that make ya special, or somethin'? You get a pass, because ya have a family?"
He snapped his arm to his right and, much to everyone's terror, a man trying to help someone stuck underneath rubble was blown into pieces, his remains scattering over those he was trying to help, as well as other helpers, who have now abandoned their neighbor and began to run for their lives.
"He had a family." Jackal said and then snapped his left hand. A woman hiding behind the fountain blew up like a balloon. "She most likely had a family. What makes ya different from them?"
The girl was now hyperventilating, her hands frantically caressing her stomach. Jackal seemed to take this sight in with pleasure. "That's the problem with ya humans! Ya keep yapping about honor, love, family and compassion, but at the end of the day all ya care about is yerselves! When it all comes down to it, you're nothing but animals who'd throw others into fire just so ya get to live a second longer! You have a family? Do ya have any idea how many times I've heard humans say that? Ya know what it does? It only makes me kill them even more. Because at the end of the day, no, blondie, I don't care about human lives. Because they are worth no more than that of vermin. This pathetic sack of shit" he pointed at Michello, who continued to scream obscenities at Lucy "represents the true nature of all humans. Ya may act all high and noble, but once yer back is against the wall the only person who matters is you. That's why humans will always be nothing more than overgrown vermin."
Lucy's eyes kept going from the girl to Michello, his insults now falling on deaf ears. Instead, all she could hear was the girl talking to her child, as she reassured both of them with a repeated chant of "It's okay, I will protect you...It's okay, I will protect you..."
She looked over to her right, where Loke laid. He was still knocked out, and she knew very well that any attempt to summon more spirits would end in all three of them dying. With only one option left in her mind, Lucy closed her eyes and lifted her feet off the magic circle.
As Jackal began laughing at Lucy's choice, his laugh was quickly replaced by a loud grunt mixed with a gargle, as Natsu, who arrived at the scene by turning his feet and hands into thrusters, smashed his fist right into Jackal's jaw, breaking it in several places. The demon was sent flying across the square and crashed into the fountain, shattering it into pieces, with water spilling all over the floor.
The bubbles around Michello and the pregnant girl dispelled, and so did the mine under Lucy's feet. She quickly ran up to the girl and knelt by her side, gently wrapping her in a hug, which she retaliated with ten times the force.
Natsu landed next to them and straightened himself. His right hand exploded and gently knocked him off balance, as he frowned in annoyance. He shook his unscathed right hand and glanced at the girls with a worried look, but Lucy gave him a nod that let him know they'd be okay. He then approached Michello, who just got back to his feet. "F-finally, ya useless oaf! I thought I was-"
He never got to finish his sentence. Natsu glared at him with a thousand daggers in his eyes while unleashing the full extent of his magic power upon him, which immediately knocked the elder out. He collapsed to the floor face flat, his cane rolling away from his unconscious body.
"You sad sack of shit." Natsu cursed at the elder and spat on him in disgust, before starting to walk towards Jackal, who was just starting to free himself from the debris.
"Let's get you out of here." Carla said softly to the girl and took her by the robe, before flying away with her towards a safer place.
Jackal gulped, his legs still shaking from Natsu's attack. As the Dragon Slayer approached him, he felt cold sweat run down his back. Natsu continued to stare him down in silent rage.
"Y-you do realise I could blow up this entire town in an instant if I wanted to?" the demon choked out through his broken jaw. "Ya really think playin' me is a wise choice, jackass?"
"Yeah, I know." Natsu stated shortly "But before you can even think of it, I will beat you into a pulp, even harder than I did at the old man's house."
Jackal smirked nervously. "Do that and my markings will make sure this time not even a single bit of ya, or the town remains!." he said, confidence slowly returning to his voice. "Starting with the blonde bitch, old fart, and the pregnant one. They will be the first ones to go off!"
"I wonder about that." Natsu said in a tone that was as sharp as a dagger..
Jackal's eyes narrowed. He was starting to lose his cool, Natsu's confidence making him feel unsettled. Did he not care about the town, or the people? His friends? Was he really that much of a heartless bastard, or was he an expert in bluffing?
Jackal quickly stood up and raised his hand, aiming it at Lucy and the others, a desperate bellow escaping his throat. "I dare ya to take one more step, jackass! I'll blow them up, you mor-"
Before he could even finish his threat, his face was done in by Natsu's flaming fist, followed by another punch. Natsu's hands turned into blur as a barrage of strikes rained down upon Jackal's body, leaving him unable to do anything but cry out in pain and cough up blood from his building up injuries.
W-what the hell is wrong with this human?! He's so fast I can't even tell where he's going to attack from next! Jackal panicked, genuine fear starting to fill every fiber of his being.
Jackal's body was now in the air above Natsu's head, his fists keeping him that way, as he continued to bombard the demon with devastating blows, sparks of lightning coming out of his shoulders, elbows, and back, meant to boost the speed of his punches.
Wait...I know who this is! I remember now! Why did it take me so long to realize?! He's the Dragon Slayer, the one all the guilds were talkin' about years ago!
The barrage continued and each strike, although powerful, made Jackal realize, that none of them, nor any of the punches he'd received thus far were anywhere near their full potential by Natsu's choice, their purpose being to extend the demon's agony and make him pay for the countless sins he had committed in the short span of time he was in this town.
As the punches nailed the thought deeper and deeper into his mind with each landed strike, it cracked through his fear and turned it into pure terror, which made him absolutely terrified, to the point his already battered face looked like it rapidly aged within seconds. The sheer thought that this man could hit even harder than that was enough to throw Jackal deep into the jaws of despair and madness.
Natsu delivered a powerful right hook to the demon's jaw with a loud battle cry and continued his beatdown, a small roar escaping his mouth as he pummeled the demon away. His fists were delivering strikes so fast they sounded like Natsu was shooting at the demon with a machine gun.
Lucy grimaced at the sight of the deformations that have started to form on the demon's body, his bones more than likely turned to dust in several places. She prayed to the gods her eyes were playing a trick on her, but she could have sworn she saw exposed bone in several spots on his body, the flesh having already given up from being pounded over and over again.
"Natsu, you can stop now!" she called out to her teammate.
With one final hook to the face, Natsu sent Jackal flying into the destroyed building in front of them. Rubble fell down at the demon, covering him completely, as he barely held onto consciousness.
Natsu breathed out loudly and straightened himself up, his eyes still locked on the demon.
Jackal, or rather whatever bloodied, beaten mass of flesh that was left of him, started to cackle from beneath the rubble, which was interrupted by coughing every now and then. He peeked out from below the debris and smirked at Natsu with his remaining few bloodied teeth. His right eye fell out of its socket and was hanging by his split cheek, where his teeth and jaw were showing. Half the fur on his head, as well as his left ear were missing, now replaced by a burnt, black scalp.
"Now you've done it." he wheezed out.
"He's still alive?!" Lucy gasped and threw up in her mouth. He did not look like a living organism anymore.
Natsu blinked and started to mess around with his hands. Upon narrowing his eyes Jackal felt sweat cover his back once again, as Natsu began to unwrap glowing rags off his hands, which revealed his free of markings skin. After a few more seconds the Dragon Slayer held the ball of now glowing rags in front of his chest, his hands unharmed.
"I've fought someone with similar powers to yours, so it helped me figure it out." said Natsu. "You can leave explosive marks, true, but only on the surface that touched you, and the countdown between a strike and explosion is stacked, meaning the more you get hit, the longer it takes for someone to be blown up. In other words, if I pummel your ass down with my hands covered in something, as long as my skin doesn't directly touch you, I will be unharmed. Which means..."
Natsu took a swing and threw the rags high in the air, a massive explosion shaking the town down a second later. He looked down at terrified Jackal, his face lit up by the explosion. "You no longer have anything to threaten me with." he finished with disgust in his voice and began to slowly walk towards the demon.
Jackal's remaining hair had turned white at this point. The person walking towards him was most certainly a human, there was no indication to prove otherwise. And yet the pressure he felt from this man was so overwhelming he could suffocate at any moment. The man was no giant by any means and yet he appeared to carry a shadow the size of a mountain, one that towered over everything and everyone he'd ever known.
With a roar of despair befitting of a cornered wild animal, Jackal's body started to glow and change, his figure growing in size, his claws growing longer and his mouth extending forward, with freshly regrown teeth so long and sharp he could snap a human in half. The burnt skin over his exposed, pounded flesh had started to grow back and regenerate, the blood went back to its original places and his cuts and gashes sealed, now covered with a fresh, thick layer of fur that grew over the entirety of his body. He now stood at nearly 9 feet, his figure towering over Natsu, as he howled into the sky so loud windows began to crack and break. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and then quickly spread them out. Natsu's senses began to scream and as he ducked, he heard the buildings behind him blow up in a chain explosion.
"What is this magic power?!" Lucy choked out in shock as she covered her ears. The demon's magic has easily doubled in size, and began to grind her into the ground.
Natsu's face remained unchanged as he straightened himself up, his enemy's new found power not fazing him in the slightest. He continued to stare him down with an expression of a man staring at a cockroach and merely bent his knees, ready to attack, but Jackal was faster. His despair and fear made him a much more vicious opponent and with a lightning fast dash, he charged Natsu on all fours and struck him with his fist. Natsu blocked the punch with his left arm, but his demeanor changed. He now expressed actual struggle, Jackal's blow being much heavier than he expected. Before he could even counterattack he blew up and was launched back. Although the explosion didn't do more than just a few minor burns, the sheer change in his curse's nature was enough to make Natsu completely change his attitude towards the demon.
"This is our true form! We, Etherious, are the superior beings, born from Zeref's blood and magic! We've been created in his image, and no mere human will ever step on our pride and honor!" Jackal roared, his voice deeper and even more hoarse.
Natsu scoffed in disgust. "Honor? I know actual monsters who had more honor than you. You're nothing more than an overgrown dog."
Jackal growled and attacked Natsu yet again, but this time he ducked under it. He then delivered a swift counter to the demon's jaw, followed by a kick to the head. Jackal fell to the ground. but quickly got up and clawed at Natsu. He once again dodged and heard the building behind him blow up into pieces, as Jackal's blows now carried explosions no matter how they were thrown. He quickly looked around and noticed, that many people still haven't evacuated yet, either due to helping others, or because they simply couldn't. They were not only in danger of Jackal's explosions, but Natsu's flames as well. The Dragon Slayer was fairly confident he could eliminate the demon with his flames, but no matter where he'd aim, he was at risk of killing civilians.
All of a sudden he had an idea and punched the ground with both of his fists. Jackal stared at the ground and then exploded in rage. "Do you think I'm an idiot?!" he roared and blew it up, revealing a torrent of flames traveling underneath. Natsu clicked his tongue in annoyance and jumped out of the way of several explosions.
While Natsu was trying to come up with a solution, Lucy and Carla were trying to get the people away from the scene. Jackal continued to hack and slash at Natsu, who dodged, blocked, and countered as much as he could, as well as pummeling the demon with his fists, but no matter what he did the explosions always happened, either on his own body, or the town. Lucy grit her teeth in frustration; she knew this would have been over by now had they been in an empty area.
Natsu slid back on the balls of his feet after blocking yet another explosion. Dull pain was slowly starting to form in various parts of his body and, annoyingly, Jackal would not just let himself be thrown into the air. He grit his teeth and charged the demon, before punching him several times. He managed to knock him down to the ground and pounced at him in an attempt to finish him off, but Jackal blasted him away directly into a nearby house, which was enhanced by Natsu blowing up as well. Natsu crashed through the wall and landed in a kitchen, where a scared, small girl was hiding.
Natsu looked at her and quickly jumped towards her. He clutched her into his arms as tight as he could allow it, as Jackal's curse blew up the room. He felt a piece of wood lodge itself in his shoulder, not deep, but just enough to pierce the skin and draw a few drops of blood. He then let go of the terrified girl, who looked at his bloodied face with fear. Realising that he most likely looked like death itself, he gave her the widest smile he could spare. "It's okay, you're safe." he told her in a soft voice, as he listened to Jackal's rampage carrying over the town, his explosions going off in random directions he waved his arms in "I want you to go further into the house and hide under something, like a bed or a table. Do you think you can do that?"
Although scared, the girl nodded and tried to hold back tears. "My parents...They went out to get some flowers, but I stayed, and-"
"I'm sure they're fine." he cut her off. "I need you to hide now, so I can take care of the monster outside. Can you do that?"
The girl nodded and stood up. Natsu gave her a quick pat on the head and watched her run off to another room, before exiting the house himself, wrapping up his hands in rags he found inside. He pulled out the wood lodged in his shoulder and spotted Jackal throwing explosions into any house that wasn't yet harmed, his blood getting hot from rage. He clenched his fist and dashed at the demon, before dropping him to the ground with one, powerful strike to the jaw. He then got on top of him and stomped his throat, a loud crack indicating he did some serious damage, before unleashing a barrage of flaming punches that bombarded the demon's entire torso. The ground beneath his giant figure began to crack and break, as well as deepened from the impact of Natsu's continuous punches. Fed up with the abuse, he punched Natsu square in the face and threw him off, before he exploded.
"I'm sorry it took me so long!" Wendy said to Lucy and Carla as she arrived at the scene.
"Michelia?" Lucy asked.
"She said she'd help evacuate the safe part of town, that it's her responsibility." Wendy said and spotted Jackal. Her face paled. "Is that him?!" she asked, as the demon climbed his way out of the hole.
"Yeah." Lucy said bitterly and pulled out Aquarius' key. "Let's try to help the town while Natsu deals with him!"
The girls left to tend to the town while Natsu continuously dodged Jackal's strikes and explosions. With each evaded punch he could hear the surroundings crumble and blow up, which fueled him with a sensation of dread. Although there was no saving these buildings, some of them still had people inside, and their battle put them at a great risk. He tried to find a good angle to blast Jackal with his flames, but in every direction he looked, there was someone still awaiting rescue, or hiding from the fire and destruction.
Natsu slid on the balls of his feet and grit his teeth in frustration. Although powered up, this enemy was nothing he couldn't normally handle, but his curse and the environment they were fighting in took away a vast majority of Natsu's weapons.
Lucy, who'd turned away from the town to look at Natsu, sensed his annoyance. She knew just as much as him that this could have been over long ago had the circumstances been different. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head, and she quickly reached out into her key bag while calling out to Wendy.
"You pathetic humans are nothing compared to us demons!" Jackal roared and tried to punch Natsu. "Once I kill you all, this whole world will burn! The time of humans will end, and us demons will rule! This world will be ours to rule, forever!"
"What the hell are you even talking about?!" Natsu asked him in annoyance and kicked him in the jaw, before throwing the remains of his shoe off his foot, which blew up a second later.
Jackal toppled to the ground and glared at Natsu with nothing but bloodlust in his eyes. But before he could make his next move, the ground beneath his feet began to break. What met him underneath shocked him, as he stared directly at a pink-haired maid and the little girl who'd been hanging around the blonde bitch earlier.
"Lady Wendy, it is your turn now." Virgo said with a deadpan and made some room for Wendy, who puffed out her cheeks.
SKY DRAGON'S ROAR!
Although it dealt no damage, the spell was strong enough to lift the demon off the ground and carry him towards the sky at least a good 30 meters.
"What the hell?!" Jackal exclaimed in surprise and tried to free himself from the torrent of wind, but to no avail, his arms and legs waving helplessly like a dog stuck on its back.
Natsu, who watched this scene in great confusion, quickly picked up on the intentions behind this move and formed a grin that could give actual demons a run for their money. He kicked off the ground and dashed straight towards Jackal, the magic in his hands burning and steaming.
Jackal, who'd realized what was about to happen, unleashed a barrage of explosions upon Natsu in a desperate attempt to keep him away, who outmaneuvered all of them with his flames. He placed his palms on Jackal's chest and stared him deep in the eyes as he unleashed his attack.
FIRE DRAGON'S PURGATORY!
Jackal was swallowed by a torrent of flames so hot they were almost white in color. Jackal's scream of agony echoed throughout the town as he was launched high in the air by the flames that continuously burned his fur, skin and flesh off his bones.
"Salamander!" a scream left his burned throat, his hoarse, choked voice full of pain, but also with a mix of terror and fury. After a few seconds his voice died down and as Natsu dispelled his attack, the dying flames revealed black ashes of the demon, as they scattered in the gentle wind like dust.
Natsu watched the ashes scatter over town as he fell towards the ground. "It's Natsu." he said under his nose and landed on his feet. As he did, he blew up one more time, and with a grimace of annoyance, he turned to Lucy and Wendy and dusted his clothes off with a loud sigh. "Sorry, didn't get a chance to interrogate him." he told them.
Lucy shook her head. "Don't be. For now let's just be happy at least some part of the town survived." she said. "You look awful" she teased him.
"Thanks."
Lucy chuckled while taking out her lacrima and tried to contact Makarov once again.
Natsu glanced over to Michello. He was awake, his back planted against a big boulder. He was pale, even older than he already was, his hair messy and eyes wide open and wandering all over the place. Natsu blinked and approached the Sage, before kneeling before him.
"Why is Tartaros after you?" he asked him with a soft voice.
Michello shook his head.
"They've been trying to murder you all for months. All of your officials kept telling us that if you die, something terrible would happen. This guy was willing to take down an entire town with you. Why is Tartaros after you?"
Michello closed his eyes and clenched his tiny fists. "It has to be Face." he croaked. "There is no other explanation."
Natsu frowned. "Face?"
"One of our most powerful weapons. If Etherion is Ishgar's spear, then Face is her shield."
"What does it do?" Lucy asked.
"It's an anti-magic bomb, with a radius easily capable of covering an entire continent. Once set off, all magic within the radius will be eradicated permanently."
Fairy Tail stared at him, speechless.
"Why would you guys even have something like that?!" Natsu blew up at the elder.
"Ishgar is weak in comparison to its neighbors." Michello explained. "We have little to no natural resources, our military is limited by a much smaller population of mages, as well as enlistments, and there are no natural defenses that could aid us, other than the ocean. In comparison to Alvarez Empire, who has 3 million men, as well as technology and weapons we could only dream of, we are but toddlers waiting to be slaughtered. In order to survive, we needed to develop weapons so powerful no one would dare lay a finger on us."
"So why is Tartaros killing the Sages?" Natsu asked him. "Do you have the keys to those bombs?"
Michello turned his head to look at Natsu and opened his mouth. At the back of his tongue there was a black sign that looked like a rune. "Each of us gets assigned a key to activate Face. It's bound to our life force itself. If we die, our seal dies with us and Face is left unattended to until a new seal is assigned."
"So just about anyone can use that weapon if they know how to do it?!" Lucy gasped in disbelief. "Have you guys learnt nothing from the incident with Seven Commandments?"
"There are countermeasures that prevent unauthorized access." Michello replied quietly. He sounded exhausted. "However, the department that knows how to operate, as well as protect this weapon has been eradicated in the attack on the headquarters. The only person other than them who knows how to stop Face from being used against the magic world is the Chairman, and Org never got to finish his training. If a situation arises, he may not be able to live up to the task."
"Why would they not teach you how to stop it?" Natsu asked him in anger. "They force you to live with the fact you could destroy the continent, would they not at least tell you how to stop it?"
Michello looked at him, some life returning to his eyes. "Because no matter how many reforms we undergo, the pride of this organisation is, and always will be, its biggest weakness." he said with spite in his voice. "I know what I am, boy, there is no need to glare at me like that." he snarled at Natsu, who was giving him a look full of disgust and pity. "No matter how noble or just you are, years of sitting on this stool take their toll on everyone."
Natsu shook his head and turned to Lucy. "Have you gotten through to gramps?" he asked her.
"Almost." she said, and just as she did, Makarov's old face popped out on the orb.
"Don't you kids look lovely." he said sarcastically. "What's the situation?"
"Sage Michello is safe." Lucy said with a smile. "A member of Tartaros attacked us, but Natsu defeated him."
"It was team effort." Natsu said as he popped his head into frame from behind her. She pushed his face away and turned back to Makarov."We're all safe, but the town has suffered. There's a lot of injured, and many dead."
"I see. Well, I'm glad the Sage is well."
"What's with the others?"
Makarov's face dropped. "Three Sages are dead. I tried to contact Erza and Mira, but they wouldn't answer. These things aren't the most reliable, so there may be some problems with signal."
"I see. We've also learned why Tartaros is after the Sages." Lucy said.
Makarov's eyes widened. "Speak, then. We're currently on a joint call with the Council."
"Their goal is Face." Natsu said. Through Makarov's side, they heard someone choke on something."
"Face?! Are you certain?!" an unknown voice asked in utter fear.
"That's what Michello said."
"This is no longer a matter your guild can handle. We are extremely grateful for your help, but this is no longer a matter a mage guild should be handling. We're dispatching our forces to your location, with a supply of food, water and resources that will help the people. Please, stay with the Sage until they arrive and then head back immediately." the voice said.
"You sure?" Natsu asked him. "We just took down one of them. We can help you."
"We've let you in on this operation out of gratitude for your protection of Sage Yajima, as well as respect for the harm caused to your Master. I'm afraid this matter is no longer one that can be shared with your guild. Our former issues have nothing to do with this decision, we're trying to protect you."
Natsu frowned. "All right, then." he said.
"Well, you heard the man." Makarov said with a loud sigh. "Stay there until reinforcements come, then head back home. We'll stay in touch. I still need to reach Erza."
"See you soon." Lucy said and closed the call. "They said we can't go after them, but I didn't hear anything about not helping the people. Let's try to help as much as we can before the Council arrives." she said to her team.
They all nodded, although Natsu with a slight delay. His mind was somewhere else, lingering on the last words Makarov said before disconnecting, as well as Michello's. If the entire team capable of managing Face had perished, and Tartaros was after Face, how in the world would they even use it? If Org lacked training, and was safe in Era, there was no way they could use those weapons. Michello sounded too broken to be in any condition to lie, or withhold information, so why was Tartaros this bold?
As he continued to wonder, realisation hit him like a speeding train. His face paled and cold sweat began to flow down his back, as he put the pieces together.
"Would former Chairmen know how to operate Face?" he asked Michello his throat dry and his voice hoarse.
"Yes." he replied.
Natsu froze. "Which Chairman did Erza and Mira go to?"
"Crawford." Lucy blinked in confusion. "Why?"
"Where does he live?!" he asked, this time exploding on his friends, much to their shock.
"Near a forest, around 30 kilometers from here." Michello said.
Natsu grit hiss teeth. He grabbed Carla and made her grab onto his coat, before blasting both of them off the ground with his flames.
"Wai- , Natsu!" Lucy called out after him, but he was too far to reach.
"What the hell are you doing?!" irritated Carla asked him, but began flying in the direction he threw them in.
"Tartaros has a spy." he declared with a shaking voice. "They knew exactly where Sages would be kept, they knew how to infiltrate the headquarters and they have someone, who can use Faces when the Sages are dead. If Crawford is not the traitor, then Gran Doma is."
Carla paled. "How do you know it's the Chairman and not someone else?" she asked.
"It's a hunch." Natsu told her and clenched his fists. "They've been pretty accurate thus far." he stated and with a knot of terro forming in his heart, he focused on finding the Chairman's place. Hopefully with Erza and Mira still there.
Carla decided not to say another word, as they zapped through the air towards the forest that was already in sight way in the distance.
4 PM
Erza slowly woke up, her eyes burning and vision blurry. She winked several times, but no matter how hard she tried all she could see was darkness, with barely any light in sight. Her nose was filled with a stale, dirty even stench of iron and other smells she didn't even want to think about. She tried to move but felt her arms and legs being held in place by something, the sound of chains rustling echoing across the chamber.
She gasped and looked up, her hands cuffed above her head and held in place by a nail stuck to a wall few feet above her. Her legs, forced to be spread apart, were chained to the floor. It wasn't until now that she realized she was naked, and froze in fear. She desperately tried to free herself, but could not feel her magic. With panic slowly overtaking her reason, Erza began to breath hard and looked around the room to find a way to free herself.
"Oh, you're awake."
A cold, sultry voice greeted her from the corner of the room. Its owner emerged from the shadows, her dark lips curved in a smile. Although her inhuman appearance and long claws should have been the main focus, Erza couldn't help but notice the dimple in her right cheek.
"Where am I?" she asked. "Who are you? Where's the Chairman?"
"My name is Kyouka, leader of Nine Demon Gates of Tartaros. You are currently in my playroom. As for the Chairman...Let's just say he's enjoying his tea someplace else now." Kyouka said and chuckled.
Erza grit her teeth. "What have you done to the Chairman?! Where's Mira?!" she yelled.
Kyouka put her claw over her lips. "You are too loud, Erza. I need you to conserve your strength, as well as your voice. This sort of screaming is not very appealing."
The knight decided to calm down. No good could come from being aggressive in her current position. "What do you want from me?" she asked, this time more quietly.
"You have destroyed something of mine." Kyouka explained and approached the girl. "That guild was my precious supply spot. I don't know about other guilds, but here, we do not tolerate being messed with. It is only natural I get to torture you in revenge for what you've done."
Erza scowled. "That was no guild. And neither are you lot!"
Kyouka's smile widened. "Perhaps. Ones definition of a guild varies, much like many other things in this world. For instance, some believe humans are on top of the food chain. We, on the other hand, place them towards the very bottom. Your only good use is your ability to express terror."
She suddenly punched Erza in the stomach. The knight's eyes lost their light for a brief moment, as she began to wheeze and cough in agony. This strike...There is no way it could have dealt this much damage!
"Do not be alarmed, I am simply testing you. It appears you have quite the resistance. I suppose I will have to adjust my pain amplification." Kyouka said and licked her lips. "This will prove to be quite entertaining."
Erza panted heavily and glared at the demon with pure hatred in her eyes. "What...do you...want...?"
"Oh, there is one more thing I wanted to ask you." Kyouka ignored the knight's question and pointed her finger at Erza. "I'd rather ask you before your brain turns into mush. Where do I find Jellal?"
Erza's eyes widened. "Jellal?"
"He's of not much use to us, but he's been on our tail for quite a while now. I suppose it'd be convenient to eliminate him as soon as an opportunity arises. You two do have history, after all."
Erza grit her teeth. "I don't know. Even if I did, I'd never tell you!"
Kyouka blinked in surprise. "Oh? I thought you'd gladly give him away. I suppose humans are not as predictable as it is to be believed."
She then struck Erza with the back of her hand. The redhead's head was blown back, and had it not been for the chains, she would have fallen down. She moved her mouth around and spat some blood aside, before giving Kyouka a glare so intense and bloodthirsty it made the demon take half a step back.
"My, oh my!" Kyouka laughed in delight. "There she is, the famous Titania! This sure is going to be entertaining!" she yelled out and struck Erza again, this time by kicking her in the crotch. Erza yelled out in pain and tried to cross her legs, but to little effect. "Although, I do not think anyone who lays eyes on you after we're done would even think of you as a queen." Kyouka licked her lips and reached out into her coat, before pulling out a whip. With a smile that befitted her race, she took a swing and brought it down, as Erza's screams began to echo across the empty halls of Tartaros' headquarters.
"Welcome to Tartaros."
End of Chapter 52. To be continued in Chapter 53: Retaliation.