Back with the continuation
"speaking"
""thinking""
On with the story
Fairy Tail's basement. Mavis stood in front of her crystallized body, heavily injured by Cana's efforts. Cana, on the other hand, was on the ground, sweating and panting heavily from her efforts to damage the first master.
"Not good enough." Mavis told Cana. "You must use your abilities to the fullest. Channel all of your might and destroy me."
"I…I just can't do it…" Cana said. "You may be a thought projection, but you're still my friend. There's no way I can go all out on one of my friends!"
Mavis stared down at Cana. "Cana…you bear a striking resemblance to a dear, old friend of mine. …Well, your hair looks similar…sort of…"
"THAT'S NOT A STRIKING RESEMBLANCE!" Cana waved her fist around.
"She passed away at a very young age, but even after she was gone, she continued to support me. She gave me the power to press on despite all odds. If Zera had lived on, she may have grown up to be a woman like you. That's what I'd like to think."
"Zera…?" That was the first time Mavis mentioned that name.
Now Mavis was thinking about it; her dear old friend acting just like Cana. …Hugging a barrel of bear as though it were her only lover in the world, absolutely hammered in the process. "…Actually, forget everything I just said."
"You're pretty rude for a ghost, you know that?!" Cana screamed. How was this supposed to make her feel better?!
"Zera still lives on within my heart, even to this day. Not in this empty spirit body, but in my heart." Mavis brought her hands to her hearts. "There's only one person in the world who is capable of freeing Zera and I from this crystalline coffin, and that's you, Cana. You will cast this spell not to attack a comrade, but to save one."
"…" Cana had no words. Mavis was truly placing her faith in Cana. Although the words from earlier weren't exactly reassuring, she could see Mavis was trying to steel her resolve to follow through with this.
The battle up north continued to rage on. The numbers Alvarez had was still overwhelming even with the reinforcements.
"Gajeel! There are still too many enemies, we're not getting anywhere!" Pantherlily exclaimed.
"Yeah yeah, I heard you the first time!" Gajeel exclaimed as he then brought one hand up, allowing it to transform into a gigantic iron blade.
"Goma Tetsu Jin Ken!"
Gajeel swung this blade down, tearing the earth in two while knocking down a number of enemy troops.
"Gajeel-san so cool…" Lector said.
"Fro thinks so too…" Frosch added.
Sting was crying in tears as he was so upset with himself as the reason they were captured was because of him.
A wounded Rogue limped over to him. "Sulking is not a good look for you…"
"I led everyone into the battle with the promise of victory…but I couldn't do a damn thing!" Sting wept. "I failed to protect my comrades and ran everyone into a losing battle! Some master I turned out to be…!".
Yukino grabbed Sting's wrist, lifted him to his feet, and then proceeded to swiftly bring her hand across his cheek for a slap.
There were tears in her eyes, but she didn't allow them to fall. She practically glared at Sting while everyone else watched in shock. "You are the master, and that's exactly why…at times like these you have to encourage everyone! You've…you've always been our light in the darkest of times, Sting-sama. That's why I know…you have the power to do just that again.…"
"Yukino…" Sting stared at his comrade before taking her hand with his both his own. "I'm sorry, that must have hurt."
"N…Not at all!" Yukino said. "I'm the one who hit you after all…I'm sorry if it stung a bit."
'Having to knock some sense into a pathetic master like me? There's no way it wouldn't hurt." After Sting said that, he brought his arm up to wipe away his tears.
Now that Yukino realized what she had done, she brought a hand to her cheek. "I…I have no idea what came over me. Please, excuse my actions."
Sting faced the Alvarez troops with a growing smile on his lips. With his confidence restored, he was ready to fight again. "Thanks, Yukino…for opening my eyes. We're going to continue to grow and surpass every challenge that comes our way. We aren't letting them get away with what they did to Orga either. LISTEN UP! IF YOU CAN MOVE, THEN STAND UP AND FOLLOW ME! WE TIGERS STILL HAVEN'T EATEN OUR FILL! WE'RE GONNA FEAST FOR FIVE DAYS, STARTING NOW!"
Sting's rallying cry wasn't exclusive to just Sabertooth. It was for Blue Pegasus too
"That goes double for the Pegasus!" Hibiki exclaimed while bringing up an archive, bringing up support magic to strengthen Eve and Ren.
"Revenge for Ichiya-san! Your death won't be in vaaaaain!" Eve wept. Somehow the Trimen all got the misconception that the handsomest man they've ever known fell in battle.
"It's not like I care about you or anything, but…!" Said Ren, the tsundere. "Damn it, why did you have to go and die!?"
"You guys know he's alive right!?" Levy had to clear the air.
"Either way, these unhandsome brutes have messed with the wrong men!" Ren lifted his hand into the air along with Eve, a violent whirlwind of snow and air mixing together in the sky above them. "How embarrassing of me to be caught off guard like that, it was not my handsomest moment. But when I think to my lovely fiancée who is also fighting down south, I suddenly have the strength to fight against this entire army!"
"I will not allow you ugly brutes to trample on our soil any longer!" Eve yelled. The mixture of snow and air collected between him and Ren took the shape of a snowy Pegasus above them. "Now, taste the might of the Trimen!"
"Which one of you assholes were gawking at my panties!?" Jenny pressed her foot against a soldier's cheek angrily, however, because masochists were a commonality in this world, it was no surprise that they were grinning at being stepped on by a hot girl. "Was it you!?"
"They're black-" The soldier happily said.
"AND FOR THE RECORD, I USUALLY WEAR MUCH CUTER ONES!"
"What the hell are these guys!? They were small fry a second ago!" A soldier yelled, only to feel the air around them distort. "Huh?"
It was Minerva. She caught so many troops within orbs of territory and swiped her hands down violently.
"I Ragd!" The orbs of territory exploded violently with all of them inside
"The princess is back!" Orga said with a grin
"I've memorized that show of anger." Rufus said with a smile
"These cretins made my master cry!" Minerva said with a smirk. "I will show them no mercy!"
Rogue swiftly slashed a soldier down with a Shadow Dragon's Slash, then turned to Sting with a slight grin. Despite Orga no longer being with them, they had to keep their spirits high. "Hear that, "Master Crybaby"?"
"Shut up! She can say what she wants!" Sting exclaimed at him before Rogue noticed that Yukino was crying
"Why are you crying!?" Rogue exclaimed
Up above, Irene and her squad watched the battle continue to rage on.
"Oho~? Even the guys who got captured are full of pep all of a sudden!" Juliet remarked. "And where did those guys come from so suddenly!?"
"What do you suggest we do, Irene-sama?" Heine asked. "The battlefield is starting to get a little crowded…"
"This is no problem at all." Irene said. "With Bloodman, and Rahkeid on the battlefield, we only need watch."
Everyone was fighting against the soldiers before one by one, guild members were falling down dead
"It's the god of death!"
"Run away!"
"The god of death is back!"
Everyone started running away as Bloodman appeared
"They're gonna crucify us again!"
"I don't ever want to be humiliated like that again!"
Gajeel appeared as he fired multiple Tetsuryūkon as they pin Bloodman to a tree.
"Huh!"
"Are you kidding me!?"
"We'll take out your frustrations out on the enemy!"
Gajeel's words rang out as the man stands in front of Bloodman
"How do you like being strung up?" Gajeel asked as he remembered what he did to Team Shadow Gear in the past
He then glares hard at Bloodman who grinned
"You just made me remember the worst part of my past!"
"He who dares to touch death will soon regret it." Bloodman told the Iron Dragon Slayer as he got freed from being pinned to the tree as his body turned into mist like sand
"It is death that you have dared to touch!" Bloodman shouted as he grips on Gajeel's neck. "You have sealed your doom!"
Gajeel counter attacks as he grabs a hold of Bloodman
"That so?" Gajeel said as his skin turned into his Iron Dragon Scales. Because that really works for me!"
Gajeel then headbutts Bloodman as the Grim Reaper lets go of Gajeel
"I've been tired finding a place to die!"
"Fluffy wuffy…~" Brandish muffled out as she was too busy nuzzling herself against North's fur, while Mest was just awkwardly sitting away from everyone else.
"geez, and yesterday she wanted to kill me" Lucy said as she can barely tell if Brandish was really a nation destroyer or not since the girl has been acting like a child
"Hmhm~" Brandish hummed as she peeked an eye to Lucy
"what?" Lucy asked and in the next instant, Lucy's chest shrunk until she was flat! "WHAAA?!" And after that, her breast inflated faster than balloons "KYAAAH!?" after that they returned normal but that experience had Lucy pretty shaken up. "Would you kindly not play with people's bodies at your leisure, please!?"
"I wonder why it is? I just feel the strongest urge to mess with you…" Brandish trailed off.
"…Geez, thanks." The blonde sighed.
"Would you guys cut it out?" Mest sighed in annoyance. "We didn't come here to play."
Mest started to bicker with Lucy and Brandish while Natsu just stayed quiet
The man was in silent cause he was holding in the pain in his mind as he can see memories cracking and shattering into pieces
"Fairy Tail, Ultear, Aya, Ur-san, and…..and…" Natsu tried to remember as he can see a picture of him, Ultear, Aya, Ur and Meredy; only the image of Meredy was white as he can't see who the person was "who is she? What is she to me?"
Natsu continued to ponder on his thoughts before he raises his heads up as his whole body tensed up
a powerful presence was sensed by everyone as the power was unimaginable
"W…What on earth…!?" Lucy's eyes were wide.
"This magic power…!" Mest exclaimed as he started to sweat.
"There's no mistaking it…" Brandish knew this feeling all too well.
"You…You've got to be kidding me…!" Mest was nearly paralyzed in fear, and in reality they were nowhere near August yet. A few miles off honestly. August could see North coming in from a far and simply stared at the giant wolf.
"August. The King of all magic." Brandish introduced the strongest Spriggan 12.
The Iron Dragon Slayer keeps sending his attacks against Bloodman but none of his attacks were hitting their target at all
"How is it that my Anti Magic particles have no effect on you?" Bloodman asked him. "They should be very fatal to any wizard who inhales them."
"Too bad!" Gajeel said to the grim reaper. "My lungs are made from iron!"
"I see." Bloodman said with a smirk. "It has been long since I felt the sensation of battle!"
Bloodman attacks Gajeel but the man dodges
"Tetsuryu So!"
Gajeel shot his leg towards Bloodman as it turns into an Iron log
The attack missed again as Bloodman's body turned into black sand
"Too bad for you- my body is made of anti-magic particles." Bloodman told the man
Skeletons started to flood the field as Gajeel was sent hurdling away
"I am the god of death! I will guide you to the afterlife!"
"gaahhhh." Gajeel shouted in pain before he sees his comrades screaming in pain
"Maybe you can withstand the particles but what of the humans near you?" Bloodman asked him
"Everyone! Get outta here!" Gajeel shouted. "Get out now!"
Gajeel crashed into the sea of skeleton as the skeletons started to attack him
"You shall now be devoured by the dead!" Bloodman shouted before Levy appeared
"Solid Script! Shine!"
She chanted out a light based attack as the skeletons disappeared
"Holy based magic?!" Bloodman exclaimed as the shine disappears
"Levy!?" Gajeel exclaimed
"I'm not going anywhere." Levy told him
"You fool! Get away from here!" Gajeel shouted out before noticing the mask on Levy she made from her magic
"Mask?" Gajeel said as Levy looks at him
"Don't you ever say you're looking for a place to die!" Levy scolded him
"That? That was just..you know, banter!" Gajeel retorted. "I didn't mean it! Don't be mad!"
"I don't want you to die." Levy told him. "I want you to keep living, Gajeel…"
"Levy…" Gajeel muttered out
"To stand before me means you have now been promised death." Bloodman told them as his hood pulled back "That promise cannot be broken. I will not allow any of you to have life. I swear it on the name of the god of death!"
Irene looks over the battle field as she sensed a powerful magic coming from a far
"Juliet, Heine, both of you head to the front." Irene ordered out to the two girls
"Yes, ma'am!" Heine abides
"What? But why?" Juliet asked her. "Didn't you say that Bloodman and Larcade would take care of everything?"
"Add the -sama to their names! They're our superiors, you fool!" Heine scolded the girl
"Indeed" The scarlet witch began. "The Pegasus, and Tigers were the first guests; the second were the Fairies, and the third guests who are about to make their appearance may prove to be a tad troublesome. And the most troublesome of them all will be the fourth guest, I'd wager."
"Someone else is coming to? Grr, gimme a break!" Juliet huffed.
"This part is neither friend nor foe." Irene said "I suppose I'll have no choice but to take care of them personally."
"I know not the identity of this fourth guest, but calling them foolish would be an understatement," Heine spoke with a sinister sneer.
"To think they'd dare make an enemy of Irene-sama, the High Enchanter…teehee…" Juliet had a smirk of her own.
A temple with legs and wings appeared as it was walking near the battlefield before stopping near a cliff
"The mobile temple, Olympia..has arrived!"
A voice spoke as inside the moving vehicle was Angel and the rest of her comrades, former Oracion Seis now Crime Sorciere
"Let's show them the power of former Oracion Seis now Crime Sorciere!" Angel said with a smile before realizing the change of weather in the land
"Huh? Wasn't this place supposed to be snowy?" Angel said in confusion
Yukino who was helping in the fight sensed something as she looks towards where the mobile temple was located at
"What is it, Yukino?" Minerva asked the Celestial Spirit mage
"No.." Yukino replied while focusing on the battle. "It's nothing"
Irene went off further into the mountains. She tapped her staff on the ground and a bright scarlet light began to spread out in a circle around her.
"Before the arrival of the fourth guest, I'll have to be sure to make thorough preparations. His Majesty's little war game will have to be put to an end as well. Not that it matters really. Even if we had continued to battle normally, our side would have still emerged victorious. Although it may be more accurate to say that the game board has been broken, I suppose – due to someone who is above the rules making an appearance. The Wing of Darkness, Acnologia.
Irene's lips curved upwards as an icy smile formed on her complexion. "Upon this land which the white Maiden reigned supreme, a black dragon now descends. It's as if the malice of the black maiden had been made manifest. But the one who will be laughing when all is said and done is I, the Scarlet Maiden. Ah…as I recall, society had taken to referring to me as the 'Scarlet Despair', hadn't they? Couldn't they have thought of something a tad cuter? Hmm…."
Western Fiore. Zeref's march continued and he noticed something amiss. The army had taken a brief pause and, in this moment, Zeref placed his hand on the ground. "….?"
"Is something amiss, Your Majesty?" Invel asked. "You seem rather distraught…"
"The quality of the magic flowing through the land…has changed? Irene…just what are you planning on doing?"
Lucy and the others were standing in front of August, The Wizard King of Alvarez as the old man had a rather stoic look on him
"What is the meaning of this, Brandish?" August asked the green haired
"I've come to negotiate with you." Brandish replied
"Has Jacob been killed?" August asked concerning about the assassin
"He's been defeated by these people." Brandish replied. "He isn't dead but he has been captured."
"Where is God Serena? Was he not with you?"
"He is here" August replied to her while holding his hand over his chest as to show respect for the fallen mage
"This guy…is on another level!" Mest thought as he had fear shaking in his heart "what could Natsu and Lucy be thinking?! This guy won't just follow our negotiations!"
"Now, what did you mean by negotiating?" August asked Brandish
"I would like you to withdraw." Brandish told her
"Hmm, it doesn't look like they have tortured you into this." August said. "So what could have made you betray us?"
"I haven't betrayed anyone." Brandish replied. "I am still a citizen of Alvarez…it's simply that I see no purpose in this war."
"Those words are betrayal to the Emperor! We have sworn our lives to protect him." August told her
"If you cannot see the purpose in this war…then you are nothing but an enemy."
"Are you sure you're alright?" Gajeel asked Levy. "These anti-magic particles."
"The Solid Script: Mask is a perfect filter." Levy told him with a smile
"The first seal steals magic with anti-magic particles." Bloodman said while lifting up one finger. "The second is this harvest of skulls that opens the portal to the afterlife…"
He then lifted three fingers as black purplish mist started to encase his body
"And the third seal is the god of death's judgment upon your lives!"
Gajeel and Levy look at Bloodman as the grim reaper transformed
"Once you've opened the third seal…" Bloodman spoke out. "The land of the living is forever closed to you!"
"Heh! Try to intimidate us all you want! But your magic ain't nothing special." Gajeel said with a grin. "The other members of the 12 got way more than you!"
"That's because I wield curse power." Bloodman told him while smirking
"He isn't human!?" Levy exclaimed
"The power that swirls in Tartaros…the power of the nine demons!" Bloodman said as he reached his hand forward. "Curse power!"
He then swings his hand in a circular fashion as a twister of explosion barrages at Gajeel and Levy
"Bakurasen!"
"gaah!" "Kyaaaa!"
Gajeel and Levy was sent flying away as they crashed to the ground
"Tenga Goken!" Bloodman swings his hand back as he swings it forward
"Onimaru!"
A powerful slash attack flies towards Gajeel who defended by turning his skin into his Iron Dragon Scales
Dark sea water started to appear behind Bloodman as it was heading towards Bloodman
"Tenchi! Kaimei!"
The dark water flooded the field as Gajeel and Levy swam in it
"These attacks are!" Gajeel exclaimed
"It can't be!" Levy exclaimed. "He can use all of Tartaros' attacks!?"
"but I won't fall for the same attack again!"Levy said as she swims towards the ground and made several gestures
"Solid Script! Hole!"
The letters for "Hole" appeared as the dark water got sucked into it and disappeared
"Nice! Levy!" Gajeel said as he took a deep breath with Bloodman doing the same
"Tetsuryu no Hoko!" "Hyoma no Gekiko!"
The two unleashed breathes attack against each other as their attacks canceled each other out
Suddenly, white tentacles entangled Gajeel's and Levy's legs as it holds them down
"Observe, a curse that surpasses that of the Nine Demons!" Bloodman said as he waved his hands to the side
"To the underworld…to the underworld…the death march forward!" Bloodman chanted out as skeletons started to rise up in white jelly like bodies
"This is bad!" Gajeel exclaimed while trying to get free
"The third seal is opened." Bloodman said before a wave of skeletons appeared from behind him
"Over! Skeleter!"
The wave of skeleton drowns Gajeel and Levy in it as Gajeel breaks out of the sea of skeleton
"Levy!" Gajeel shouted out as he grabs a hold of Levy and got out of the sea of skeletons
"They escaped!?" Bloodman exclaimed. "From the life hunting skulls!?"
Gajeel and Levy crashed down to the ground as Levy's mask disappeared
Levy started coughing before blood got coughed out
"Levy! Your mask! Your mask is gone!" Gajeel shouted to her
"Sorry…" Levy muttered out as she weakly got up. "The mask…never worked in the first place at all."
"You can absorb anti-magic particles by skin too."
"Why the hell did you come here for!?" Gajeel shouted at her
"I wanted to." Levy said before she fell down. "Save you!"
"Levy? LEVY!" Gajeel shouted out before he got up and dashed towards Bloodman
"Hang on, Levy! I'm going to take this jerk down right now!"
Gajeel tried to attack Bloodman but as usual his attacks went through Bloodman
"It's futile." Bloodman said as he lifted his finger up and a thorn root pierces out of the ground and straight at Gajeel's right side
"Gah!" Gaheel coughs blood as he gritted his teeth
"Gajeel…" Levy muttered out his name weakly before seeing Gajeel trying to punch Bloodman again
"Your attacks have no effect upon me" Bloodman told him
"I'm always the last! It's so frustrating! So pathetic! It makes me wanna run away!"
Gajeel though as he stood his feet at the ground
"I don't care about that! none of it matters if I can't protect the girl I love!"
Levy looks at Gajeel as the Iron Dragon Slayer was inhaling the black mist into his lungs
"No…don't" Levy looks in horror to Gajeel as the man was inhaling the Anti Magic Particles
"Impossible! He's eating the Anti-magic particles?!" Bloodman exclaimed. "it's common sense that Ethernanos and Magical Barrier Particles can't mix!"
"No…stop!...you can't…Gajeel." Levy muttered out before she sees black iron scales appearing all over Gajeel
"You won't ever be able to come back from that!" Levy exclaimed
"He relied on the scarce trace of iron in the particles, just for that! He ate the poison!?"
Gajeel dashed towards Bloodman as he sends his fist straight at Bloodman and the attacks hits its target
"His attack can touch me now!?" Bloodman exclaimed. "His desire to hit me was so great, that he took my Anti Magic Particles into himself!?"
Bloodman got an uppercut from Gajeel as the Iron Dragon Slayer continued sending fury of his fists at Bloodman without stopping
"I won't accept this! I won't accept this!" Bloodman shouted as he got punched all over by Gajeel. "I do not accept this! No such human could possibly exist!"
Gajeel pulled back his right fist as he poured all his magic into it
"I'm!"
Gajeel then punches straight at Bloodman's body as the Grim Reaper shouts in pain
"Gonna take Levy back to the guild with me!"
Gajeel's Dragon Force slowly disappears as he looks at Levy with a smile
"Levy…" Gajeel muttered out before he was grabbed by a glowing whitish hand
"Gajeel!" Levy shouted as Gajeel got entangled by Bloodman who looks like a void of darkness
"Gaaah!"
"If I must die." Bloodman spoke out in the void. "I will take you with me!"
"Gajeel!" Levy looks at the scene as Gajeel was getting sucked into the void
"What is this!? My body!" Gajeel shouted out. "Is getting sucked in!"
"You're in the portal to the afterlife…" Bloodman spoke out as he was disappearing "There is no return!"
Bloodman then disappears as the Grim Reaper was gone
"Gajeel!" Levy screamed as she runs towards him
"Stay back!" Gajeel shouted at her
"My body's…made up of anti-magic particles now…if you touch me, then you'll."
"I don't care!" Levy shouted at him as she runs towards Gajeel. "I came to save you, Gajeel! And I will!"
Gajeel gritted his teeth before he clasped Levy's hands towards a rock with iron locks
"What do you think you're doing, Gajeel!?" Levy shouted while trying to break free of the locks
"The only thing I can." Gajeel muttered out
"Well, you're not dealing with the same Levy as before!" Levy said as she swings her legs around and cut the rock behind her with a Solid Script: Sword
"No!" Gajeel shouted as Lily appeared and grabs a hold of Levy
"Lily!? Let go! I need to…" Levy shouted as she tried to get out of the hold
Lily had tears falling down his face as the Exceed holds her in place
"Let go! Gajeel's about to!" Levy shouted at the Exceed
"Levy…" Gajeel muttered out. "Thank you, Levy."
"You turned me from a hopeless buffoon to the man I am today, you taught me how to love another person."
Levy cried in tears as she tried to get out of Lily's hold
"I began to think of things I never thought of. Like the future, family and happiness…"
Gajeel then started to imagine the future he might have with Levy as tears were forming in his eyes as they pass in his mind
"Who would've thought that the Great Gajeel just wants to be like everyone else."
The tears on Gajeel's face started to pour down like waterfalls.
"I…just wanted the two of us to be together forever…who knew that losing the future…is really scary?"
"Gajeel…" Levy cried out in tears as Gajeel was getting sucked into the void
"I'm leaving my future to you, Levy." Gajeel told her
"No! No Gajeel!"
"Live on for me, okay?"
"Don't go!"
"Make sure Levy gets back to the guild, Lily." Gajeel said to the exceed as Lily scrunched his face and nodded with tears
"Yeah!" Lily replied as Gajeel smiles before he disappeared into the void leaving Gajeel and Lily
"Nooooo! Gajeeell!"
"Ho? One dragon has disappeared." Acnologia said as he was far from the location of the war but could sense Gajeel's death "Only six remain till every dragon is slain."
"Oh? Is that your true purpose here?" A voice spoke as Acnologia looks up and sees Irene floating in the air
"Begone, I have no use for you." Acnologia told her. "I only care to fight END"
"I believe the phrase "you shall not pass", would suffice your sentence." Irene said to him
"You know of me, and yet you block my path?" Acnologia asked,
"But of course…" Irene replied. "Acnologia-sama."
"Amusing, perhaps you might offer me a bit of entertainment." Acnologia said
"Yes, more than a bit!" Irene said with a smirk The negotiation with August was still going on as the old man was a bit stubborn
"Please, August, listen to me." Brandish pleaded. "What His Majesty is attempting to accomplish is absolute genocide, and nothing less. The Dragon King Festival, Raganrok, call it whatever you'd like, but in the end, it amounts to nothing but a one-sided massacre." Brandish was truly trying to convince August not to fight. "This war is nothing but murder. It's not a clash of noble ideas between or two countries; sure you can tell that much."
"…" August said not a word.
"I know that among the 12, none are wiser than you. That is why you must realize that at the end of this fight, there will be no future. All that awaits us…is an empty abyss…"
"Where we are headed at the conclusion of this battle is to be decided by His Majes-"
"THINK FOR YOURSELF!" Brandish yelled, cutting August off.
"M…Maybe you shouldn't be coming on too strongly…j-just a thought…" Lucy quipped while hiding behind Natsu, who was silent and staring at August the whole time.
"That is what I have decided to do." Brandish then turned to those who accompanied her. "I have reached the conclusion that these people are not evil."
"T-Thanks…" Lucy said with a halfhearted smile.
Natsu and August started at each other as the air was tense between the two
"to think that the day you would defy his Majesty would come so soon" August said to Natsu who looks back with a hard gaze
"Natsu! Stop burning a hole through his body! Please…?" Lucy pleaded.
"August, I beg of you…at least try talking to them." Brandish asked.
"…Hmph." August let out a defeated sigh. "Well, I suppose I would sooner listen to what they have to say than make a fool out of you, Brandish…"
"You're the best, Grandpa!" Brandish's serious expression immediately melted into a beaming smile.
"I have no recollection of you being my granddaughter." August said.
"But to me, you've always been my Grandpa~" Brandish mused.
"Aha…" Lucy let out a nervous laugh. To think Brandish actually managed to do it! It was no guarantee that August would stop altogether, but now they've finally pushed past all the hurdles for a peaceful negotiation.
"Grand…" Brandish's bright smile soon turned into a dull expression. "Pa…"
"Hm…?" August lifted a curious brow. In the next instant, Brandish pulled out a knife from her jacket and stabbed August in the chest, using her magic to enlarge the weapon at the point of impact. "GUAAAAAH!"
"KYAAAA?!" Lucy screamed.
"August!" Natsu exclaimed as he saw memories of a young child with golden yellow hair with him before it cracked and shattered into pieces
There was an evil smile on Brandish's lips. "The one I must kill…stands before me now."
Natsu looks to Mest who seems to be grinning in joy
"MEST! YOU BASTARD!" Natsu grabs Mest's neck and lifted him up. "WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE!?"
"I DID IT TO PROTECT THE GUILD!" Mest exclaimed to Natsu who just threw him away
"all of you get back NOW!" Natsu shouted as the dark markings started to appear around his left side before Natsu suddenly coughs out blood to the ground
"Natsu!" Lucy went to Natsu as the man had blood pouring out of his mouth
"why!?" Natsu keeps coughing blood as he looks to his right hand and sees that the skin was turning dark "the feedback from breaking the limit!"
"so this is how it is, Brandish" August spoke as an immense magic power raises up in the air. August's whole body turned black as white strips appeared on his face "just how this brute acts upon us!"
August lifts his hand towards Brandish as she fell down to her knees
"Brandish!" Lucy screams as she tried to go to her but Natsu just pulled her back
"get out of here!" Natsu pushed back Lucy as he stands up and summons both Drac and Vlad on but he got shocked by black electricity
Natsu grunted but he holds in the pain before transforming into his Demonic form
"Melt!" August said as a powerful burning explosion erupted from the ground as it blew everyone away
Natsu tried to block the explosion with Drac and Vlad but he could not as more memories of Laxus, Mira, Elfman, Lisanna, Levy, and Gajeel cracked before shattering
"YoU cAn nO lOnGeR WiElD uS, NaTsU." Vlad's voice spoke out in Natsu's head as Natsu saw memories of his friends vanishing away "your body and your mind can no longer handle the strain anymore" Drac's voice spoke next as the two demonic versions of Natsu appeared in front of him
"forcing yourself to transform one more time will eradicate all of your memories and destroy your own soul"
Drac and Vlad disappeared as Natsu's transformation breaks apart
"Gaaaaaah!" Natsu shouted out as he got blown away
That's a wrap!
Bye bye