back with the continuation
"speaking"
""thinking""
On with the story
Hades slowly stood up from the ground and wiped his left cheek, Natsu still piercing him with his glare. "This magic...how truly intriguing." Hades commented
Natsu gently shifted his right foot to the side. Hades blinked and a split second later felt his eye widen in shock, before quickly turning his head around. In a blink of an eye Natsu managed to get behind his back, a feat never achieved by anyone who stood in Grimoire Master's way.
""so fast!""
Natsu clenched his right fist and struck Hades right in the left cheekbone, smashing the elder's face into the ground, his head and shoulders buried in the floor, his legs sticking out like a carrot ready to pluck out of the soil. He then flexed his left leg and kicked Hades in the gut, breaking him out of his prison and forcing him to fly through the floor across the hall, pieces of wood and metal flying everywhere.
Hades rolled on the ground and pushed the floor with his hands to launch himself in the air, a giant hand made out of flames crashing from underneath the floor he was rolling on just a moment ago.
Natsu flipped in the air and landed safely on the ground, and when Hades spotted his figure, he was up for a surprise. The strike that was meant to reach his stomach was successfully blocked with his left elbow, yellow letters spreading across the arm. Natsu raised it and set it ablaze, the fire purging the spell away.
Hades whistled and caressed his beard. "I see. Your already enhanced senses must have been brought to an even higher level, one that when combined with this magic power makes you a force to be reckoned with." he analised. "Makarov truly has a good eye when it comes to his offspring. Perhaps letting loose once in a while wouldn't be that bad of an idea." he said and increased his magic power even further, which when combined with Natsu's was truly unbearable to endure.
All of a sudden Hades raised the index and middle fingers of his right hand, an explosion erupting under Natsu's feet. The Dragon Slayer moved out of the way just in time and dashed to the right, using the smoke created by the explosion to hide from his opponent- Knowing well where he was, Natsu dashed through the smoke but felt his senses crying out just as he entered the smoke. He quickly bent his knees and jumped upwards just in time to avoid being taken by yet another Amaterasu Formula.
He landed few meters away from the spell and charged again, too fast for the elder to keep up with once again. Despite his attempts, Hades felt his ribs being bashed in by a kick that sent him flying. He quickly regained contact with the floor and tried to unleash a spell on Natsu, who had already caught up to him.
Hades then jumps up and fired a magic chain at Natsu's hands as it confines them
"now you won't be able to use your hands!" Hades exclaimed
Natsu looks at the chains on his hands as he took a deep breath before ripping them apart like they were paper
"wha?!" Hades gasped before seeing flames and lighting fly into Natsu's mouth
"GET DOWN!" Gray exclaimed as everyone made the run for it
"Raienryuu no Hoko!"
Natsu released all of the magic that was stored in his body, as a gigantic torrent of flames and lightning swallowing Hades along with the half of the ship that was behind him. The wind pressure nearly knocked everyone off the ship
Natsu felt completely drained of magic. He snapped his mouth shut, his teeth making a sound similar to a steel trap going off. His flames have begun to extinguish and soon the gravity and temperature in the area went back to normal.
The ship was unrecognizable. The parts that have been touched by the Roar have been completely vaporized from existence.
What was not made out of something other than metal was scorched and blackened. Metal parts were bent and molten, some of them still dripping onto the floor, each drop followed by violent sizzling. The floor was so uneven and broken, that there was literally no safe space to stand on. You risked falling through at every step.
Gray looked around and frowned. He never believed in it, nor did he ever give it a though, but if he were to guess, he'd say this is what Hell looked like. Lucy, who woke up just a moment ago, has also observed the ruins, scared.
Natsu stood still in his spot, panting heavily and nearly fall back to a hole he and Laxus made, if it weren't for Gray who quickly grab his hand
"Thanks. I'm completely spent, can't even move."
Gray grinned and pulled him up. "Learn to warn us before you use that much magic. One day you will kill us." he said jokingly.
"It's a good thing we didn't fly away in the middle of battle." pointed out Lucy. "Do you think Lily and Carla disabled the controls?"
"Even if they didn't, I doubt this thing will ever go anywhere again." said Erza and looked around. The ship was nothing more than a wreck right now.
"The Tree is back to normal." gasped Wendy, who had just woken up. "How?"
Gray looked at the tree and grinned to Ultear who nodded. "I think I might have an idea."
Everyone looked at him curious, but before anyone could ask any questions, Erza stood up. "We should go back to the camp and let everyone know what happened. We also must inform the Council of our current aituation and-"
"How utterly terrifying."
Erza's voice was killed in her throat, cold sweat covering her forehead in an instant. Her eyes widened in pure terror, just like everyone else's, as they were all robbed of the ability to breathe. Gravity increased once again and all of the colours turned dark. Erza slowly turned her neck to the right, which came with great difficulty. Before she was forced to drop to her knees, she registered Hades raising himself up to a sitting position.
"For the first time in my life...I felt fear. I did not expect to get out of this alive." confessed quietly the elder and stood up, how body starting to release steam. The steam was coming out of his wounds, which were now slowly but surely closing themselves, his burns fading away and his cuts closing themselves.
"You managed to break through my strongest defense spells. A truly formidable feat." chuckled Hades in an elderly manner.
"Impossible..." choked out Lucy in despair. "Was it not enough?!" She broke down.
"Is there a spell this bastard doesn't know?!" growled Laxus.
Erza clenched her teeth in fear and frustration.
"I do not feel hatred nor anger towards you, Dragon Slayer." stated Hades and cracked his neck, a short sigh of relief escaping his lips. "If anything, it is gratitude. I never expected to learn something new at this old age of mine. I feel more complete as both a person and a mage than ever before."
Natsu scowled and raise himself as his eyes glued to Hades'.
The elder Re-equipped into a new set of clothes, a black cloak dosing his shoulders over a grey buttonless jacket. "Now that you have showed me what Makarov made of the guild and taught me this valuable lesson...I shall send you to the depths of darkness by using my full strength upon you." he said and grabbed his eyepatch. "Devil's Eye - activate!"
As soon as he took it off, Wendy nearly vomit. Hades' magic was so overwhelming that Fairy Tail was now struggling to breathe, none of them able to defend against it.
"His magic can rise even higher?!" wondered Gray.
Ultear and Meredy looks in fear as Aya started to cry as she was afraid
"In order to reach the very center of magic, one must throw themselves into the depths of darkness." said Hades. "At the bottom of those depths one shall find the source of magic - the One Magic."
"Although I am the closest human being to ever reach this depth, I am also still very far away. Even if I lived for a dozen of life times, I would never be able to reach it. That is why Grand Magic World must happen! Only this world, Zeref's world, can dig it out and let me attain it!" monologued Hades and spread his arms.
"You, who have followed Makarov's teachings for years are not yet ready to step into this ultimate world. You shall perish tonight, and upon your ashes a new world will be born. You have my gratitude for entertaining and educating me, Fairy Tail. It is time to close your eyes now."
Nobody moved. Their thoughts were racing like crazy. They were terrified. Not that anyone could blame them. Somewhere deep in their hearts they all felt that this could be their last battle. Their last stop before lights go out. They knew it all too well. Still, none of them was ready to accept it. Not like this.
Erza tried to get up but her legs were trembling far too much. That was the case for everyone else - even Laxus tried to use the pain of his leg to break through this thick wall of fear. To no avail.
The only person who managed to do anything was Natsu. He managed to get up on his feet, his legs pathetically bent at weird angles, his knees trembling. But he had managed to do something nobody could - he stood up. He lifted his head to face Hades and to the elder's surprise, his onyx eyes have yet to go out. They were still alive.
"You still choose to struggle?" asked him Hades. "Are you not afraid?"
Natsu grinned weakly. "No, I'm shitting myself over here. Trust me, everything in my head is yelling at me for even trying to stand up."
"Then why do you choose to suffer even further?"
Natsu gently clenched his fist. "Because I've something to protect"
Natsu then had black markings appearing to his left face as red scales combined with the black markings
"being at Fairy Tail taught me a few things" Natsu spoke as blackish red armor plating started to appear to his shoulder and was spreading to his neck and head
"friendship, bond, and Family. They thought me something I had forgotten a long time ago"
Suddenly, black and red flames erupted from Natsu as his face was half covered with black armor plating
"trust in your allies and you shall see victory up ahead" Natsu grins as he slowly walks towards Hades
Erza, Gray, and Lucy started to get back on their feet as well, their faces changing greatly. Their trembling was still there, but they were its masters. They had it under control.
Laxus smirked under his nose and forced himself back to his feet as well. As long as he had one leg to stand on, he'd do it.
Natsu's words sparked fire in Fairy Tail's hearts as everyone smirks
Hades kept his eyes on each and every single one of them for a moment. ""So, they still chose to struggle. Even in death they still stayed true to fairy tales told them by Makarov? This was just sad.""
"Very well." he said and raised his hands. Rubble has started to rise and join together into weirdly shaped masses. "I shall grant your wish. Sleep now, Fairy-"
All of a sudden, Hades' face twisted in a painful grimace. His eyes widened drastically as he staggered in his place. He quickly raised his hand to his right eye and touched it, magic oozing out of his body at rapid rate.
""Could this be...No, that's impossible! They couldn't have!"" he looks to the side and sees Meredy typing on a magic screen
"impossible!"
With Charla and Lily
Charla was smiling and Lily was smirking
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions rang out as the room they were leaving was coming down
The Devil's heart, Hades's own heart was beating yet weakly as the glass it was in was cracked and shattered and was exposing it
Back to the fight
Hades buckled over in pain, pained grunts escaping his mouth. ""My heart!""
"looks like the cats did it" Gray said with a grin
Hades snapped his head upwards and pierced them with his glare, once again stopping them in their tracks with fear. "The secret to my immense magic and longevity may have been destroyed...but I am still perfectly capable of disposing of all of you." he whispered menacingly and aimed his right hand at them. "Your end will not avoid you, Fairy Tail."
His eyes widen in surprise as Laxus appeared in front of him and sends a lightning punch straight to his face
"gaah!"
"GO! FAIRY TAIL!" Laxus shouted before getting a purple energy blast at his chest as everyone went on to the attack
Natsu and everyone went to attack him as they poured all of their strength for one last attack
"open the gate of the goat, Capricorn!"
Lucy summons Capricorn who was wearing a butler's suit
"you summon me, my lady?" Capricorn said
"you!?" Hades exclaimed before getting multiple punches to the face by Capricorn
"my name is not Zoldeo! I am Lucy-sama's spirit! Capricorn!" Capricorn then lands an upper cut that sends Hades flying to the air
Gray then appeared as he creates two giant ice swords
"ICE BRINGER!"
He slashed them at Hades who got send falling to the floor only to met Erza in her Heaven Wheel armor
"Pentagram Sword!"
A pentagram magic slash got sent towards Hades before seeing Wendy behind him
"Tenryuu no Yokugeki!"
She swings her hands as a gust of devastating wind blow him away
Hades was sent crashing to the ground and was now face to face with Natsu
"Shin Metsuryu Ougi! Kai!" he shouted as he had black and red flaming sphere on each hand while Lightning was dancing around him
Hades could only look in horror as he tried to use Grimoire Law, only to fail as he did not had enough time to cast it
"Ankoku Bakuraijin!"
Natsu swipes his arms in a circular fashion, creating a powerful, and highly destructive, torrent of flames and lightning that barraged Hades
"GAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!"
He falls to the ground while twitching a little before stop moving as he was out of it
Lucy hugged Wendy so hard the girl thought she was going to pass out. Gray and Laxus smirked and fist bumped each other. Erza smiled dearly as they have won the battle and the war
Natsu drop to his knees as the markings on him and armor plating disappears
he looks to the side and sees Ultear running towards him with Meredy who was carrying Aya in her arms
He smiled as Ultear brought him into a hug
"Ul…tear" Natsu softly spoke before closing his eyes from using so much magic power in just one day as he rested his head to her chest
"Natsu….." Ultear caresses his head with a smile
They then hear the sound of a herd coming as they turn to see Charla and Lily running towards them while being chased by a herd of Grimoire Heart goons
"you kidding, right?" Gray said while looking annoyed
"there still small fried left?" Laxus said
"hold it right there!"
The sound of Makarov's voice boomed out as the herd stopped
Makarov appeared with the rest behind him
The herd of small fries then ran away after they saw their master defeated
Natsu smiled to the old man who grinned with a nod
"Natsu…" Meredy called out his name as she kneels beside him and showed him that Aya was awaked and was looking at him
"hi…" Natsu greeted the child with a soft smile as he raised his hand up and slowly trace his little finger on the child's face
"I'm your daddy" he spoke as he traced the child's face before caressing her head as Aya laughs a bit to the tickling sensation he was giving to her
Ultear and Meredy smiled to him as Natsu started child talking to his little girl
That's a wrap!
Bye bye