Chapter 3: Claws of Iron
The aftermath of the attack on Fairy Tail meant Magnolia was left in something of a dour state. While plenty of people had come to lend a hand in cleaning up the rubble and repairing what could be fixed, as far as the guild hall went, that would take far longer to accomplish. Aki's help certainly made a difference, since the boy did indeed prove capable of cutting through the tough iron poles piercing the building with his magic. The problem however was proven by their size and number. Ensuring more damage wasn't caused by severing the wrong piece before preparations were made to do so meant the process was slow.
And it was after a day of doing so that the guild was gathered in the basement of the building, the dour mood reflected in their quiet mutterings. The mood from the previous day's shock was anything but alleviated among the members of Fairy Tail, and it no doubt wouldn't be for a while to come.
And then there was Aki, seated at a table with his head firmly planted on it, a low sound coming from his mouth as a wisp of steam billowed from it. After a day spent trying to cut through those iron rods, he was quite reasonably tired from the exertion of his magic for so long. He was just thankful he had rather easy access to stamina restoration no thanks to his magic. So with a quick downing of a tall glass of water next to him, Aki felt at least some of his energy return to him.
"Sorry we're working you so hard," Glancing over, Aki saw Levy taking a seat at the table, Jet and Droy following suit. "But… no one else can take care of those poles."
"Nah it's fine," Aki mumbled, laying his chin on the table. "I'm the one who offered to do it, so it's just part of the deal if I end up tired at the end of the day."
"Still…" Jet hummed as he watched Aki down another full glass of water at record speed. "Being able to restore your magic and stamina through water has gotta be crazy convenient. Natsu can do the same thing with fire, but that mean's there's gotta be fire."
"Can you do that with like… any water?" Droy asked, Aki nodding.
"Yeah. So long as its water, doesn't really matter. Though… where it comes from means it's got a taste," Aki looked to the side. "So doing that when I'm in the ocean is kinda blegh, since it's just really salty. I could also do the same if I was against a water mage. My magic also gets a lot stronger when I'm near or in water… which is… probably kinda obvious."
"Means you're one heck of a menace for fire mages," Levy chuckled.
"So…" Aki was feeling the urge to ask something come to him. "Why would Phantom Lord even attack? I know rivalries between guilds isn't unusual, but damaging another's guild hall is… well it's kind of unheard of."
"Ehh, Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord have always had bad blood," Jet grumbled. "It's a thing that goes all the way back to when both guilds were founded. But it never used to be this bad."
"For a while it actually kind of died down," Levy added, "At least, until around three years ago. From what we know of it, Master got into some drunken argument with Phantom Lord's master about who the better Guild was…"
"Obviously us," Droy chuckled.
"… and the guy's been holding a grudge ever since," Levy shot her teammate a look for being interrupted. "But, even then Phantom Lord never did anything. So them outright attacking us is… well it's new, to say the least."
"There's gotta be a reason behind it," Aki folded his arms and shut his eyes, slipping into thought. "If the grudge got reignited three years ago, but nothing happened, it would mean Phantom Lord was also following the Council's rules about guild conflict. So then… why would they suddenly go so far as to attack now if they'd avoided doing so that entire time?"
"Maybe they finally decided to bring a fight on," Jet scoffed, "Buncha jackasses, attacking in the middle of the damn night…"
"Hey!" Levy hissed, "Watch the language in front of the kid yeah?"
"… I've heard worse," Aki chuckled, "Besides I'm like fourteen."
"I thought you said you were twelve?" Droy asked.
"I might be twelve. I might be older. I dunno," Aki leaned on a hand, a quiet breath passing through his lips. I still wanna find out what this might be about. I know I'm not in the guild, yet, but it doesn't meant I can't pry into this a bit. There's got to be some reason for this… but what?
"THIS AIN'T RIGHT!" A sudden, furious shout drew everyone's attention, and it was soon followed by the sound of shattering wood. Aki leaned back as much as he could, but he could barely see anything through the crowd. Once more, he found himself cursing his lack of height. "I won't be satisfied until we go and crush these guys!"
"Ah, Natsu's back," Droy muttered, Aki's eyes widening, looking off again as the yelling continued. "Figures he'd be pissed off more than any of us."
"He's the Dragon Slayer we told you about," Jet said, Aki nodding. "Got one hell of a temper… but I guess it fits. His element is fire after all. But… he's got enough restraint not to start something he knows he shouldn't… not that any of us would blame him right now."
"Yeah…"
"Aki?" Hearing Mirajane give a call, Aki leaned into her view and raised a hand. "There he is. Come on over here! There're some people you should meet!"
Giving a nod to Shadow Gear, Aki rose from his seat and trotted over to Mirajane. And he quickly took in the four people she was chatting with as he approached. The first Aki took note of was the young woman in armor with striking scarlet hair, who was the first to turn to him. The second was a blonde girl in rather light clothing, Aki noting the keyring within a leather holder on her belt. Third was a black haired young man who had become strangely absent of his shirt in the time it took Aki to walk over. And the last one was another young man, with spiky pink hair and white scarf. From the ground to Aki's surprise a blue, bipedal cat jumped up onto the pink-haired young man's shoulder. And all of them were giving Aki various levels of curious looks.
"Who's the kid?" The cat asked.
"A new guild member?" The blonde girl asked.
"Ehh, not quite," Aki chuckled, then bowing his head. "I'm Aki Halcyon, a mage from Crocus. I'm… considering joining Fairy Tail. But, well… obviously this mess has kind of put those plans on hold for a bit. For now though, I'm helping with the cleanup from the damage. And in terms of magic, I'm a Water Dragon Slayer."
"Eh?!" The four collectively gasped, and the pink haired boy immediately dashed forward, giving Aki the look over as he circled around the child.
"You certainly smell like a dragon," he said, Aki blinking a few times. And then Aki was grabbed by the shoulders, "Do you know about a Dragon named Igneel?"
"Uh, no…" Aki shook his head, and the sudden bit of desperation in the young man's eyes turned into frustration. "You're… Natsu Dragneel, right? The Fire Dragon Slayer? I was… heh, well, if you're asking me about your Dragon, then I doubt you know anything about one named Timaeus."
"You're also looking for one?!" Natsu snapped to full attention, his companions looking just as surprised as him.
"Yeah," Aki nodded. "Timaeus disappeared seven years ago, on July 7th… just like yours, from what I heard. Honestly, I was kind of hoping you might know something I don't, since you've gotta be more well-traveled than I am. Looks like we're both lacking in leads, huh?"
"Kinda sucks you came all the way to Magnolia looking for leads only to get involved in this" the dark haired young man muttered, then getting elbowed by the blonde. "Well c'mon, it's obviously not fair for the kid."
"It's fine, really!" Aki said, holding up his hands. "I… actually asked Master Makarov if I could help if Phantom Lord came back. But he said that he wouldn't drag a non-guild member into this if it did get worse. It's why until this resolves, I'm holding off on deciding if I'm joining or not."
"Quick question!" The cat suddenly chimed in, "If you're a Water Dragon Slayer, that means you swim, right? Does that mean you have like, a super easy time catching fish?!"
"Yeah," Aki's eyes then widened when the cat immediately hollered. "Got ya' excited little guy?"
"Aye, sir!" The cat cheered. "The name's Happy! You already figured out Natsu. The red girl is Erza Scarlet, the guy missing his pants is Gray Fullbuster, and the one with the boobs is Lucy!"
"You could've said something else, damn cat!" Lucy snapped, while Gray double took at realizing he'd suddenly gone down to his skivvies. Aki raised a brow. "It's some weird habit he's got. Anyway, it's nice to meet you, Aki! You've come a pretty long way for a kid your age."
"Most of us did," Erza stated, "A lot of us first came to Fairy Tail when were much younger. I do wish we could meet under better circumstances, Aki."
"It's nobody's fault but those Phantom Lord guys," Aki shook his head, then chuckling. "Though my pals in Crocus are gonna be jealous as hell when I tell 'em I got to meet Titania herself! Even if I end up not joining, just getting to say I met mages like your is gonna be worth it."
"Well… maybe you could consider doing so," Erza looked away and cleared her throat, yet it was obvious to all she was just a little puffed up at Aki's recognition of her fame. "Still, another Dragon Slayer. Perhaps there's a reason you ended up here."
"Still, since he's water, wonder if he'll mix well with Natsu," Gray chuckled, having donned his clothes. "Nice to meet ya' kid. You and I might get along, since I'm use Ice Make magic. Makes our elements peas in a pod."
"I've never really fought alongside an ice mage before," Aki hummed, "That could lead to some interesting synergy in spells… maybe mix them together and all…"
"You're a smart one, huh kid?" Gray chuckled.
"Ah who cares if it's water or fire?" Natsu laughed as he threw an arm around Aki's shoulder, the tension from his earlier outburst all but gone, "Even if he don't know nothin' about the Dragons, meeting another friendly Dragon Slayer is way cool! Still… can't shake this feeling I got. Eh, probably just good instinct. You should totally join kid! I know it's a mess now, but hey. Fairy Tail is tons of fun!"
"Rowdy too, from my first introduction."
"That's what makes it fun!"
"Only for someone as fight happy as you," Lucy cut in. "Aki here seems a lot more reasonable than that. When did you get to Magnolia, by the way?"
"Yesterday, as it happens. I got a tour of the town from Levy and her teammates and, well… this happened. So… it's been eventful. Definitely a first impression to remember," Aki glanced at Natsu, chuckling at noting how the other Dragon Slayer seemed to be racking his brain as he kept glancing at him then away. "Thinking about something, Natsu?"
"Just… I can't shake that weird feeling!" Natsu hummed, putting a hand on his chin. "I don't frickin' know why but I swear I know your name from somewhere else! Ahhh, dammit, I can't pin it though! Kid, you got any idea?!"
"You want him to remember for you?!" Lucy snapped. Aki noted comebacks seemed to be natural for her.
"Uhm, actually…" Aki cleared his throat, "I know what you're feeling. It's… a weird sensation, right? Like… you can remember names, but you can't place a face to them, or even figure out why you know them. Yeah?"
"Yeah! That!" Natsu nodded, bending down to be at eye level with Aki. "Think this has to do with our Dragons vanishing?"
"It could be…" Aki hummed. "Or maybe it's just some weird coincidence. But… maybe it's not. I wouldn't know the answer. Maybe finding some trail about the Dragons will help me find that answer."
"Well then you've got to join!" Natsu laughed. "Two Dragon Slayers looking for 'em has got to draw their attention, don't you think?
"Maybe… though, let's let this business with Phantom Lord clean up before that, yeah?"
"Tch… shame master won't let you help us with that. Would've been killer to see your magic as we beat those guys up!"
"Natsu, stop," Erza scolded, whacking Natsu a bit too hard on the shoulder, "You know the rules. Frustrating as it is, we can't act rashly. Again, I apologize this had to be how you came to know out Guild, Aki."
"Again, it's not a problem," Aki chuckled, hoping to dissuade such feelings. But, a part of him could still feel the stewing frustration of everyone present in the basement. Nobody was happy about this, and it was understandable they wanted retribution for the slight against them. But the rules are rules… unless this gets worse, they can't do anything. So… why do I feel like they will?
With night coming down again, Aki had elected to take a walk after departing from Fairy Tail for the time being. He couldn't help but stew in thought as he walked along, the thoughts about what could have led to the attack and more swirling in his mind. He and Natsu had also exchanged what little information they had about the dragons, and unfortunately found it was barely even anything close to a lead. Natsu has himself been searching far and wide and found nothing close to a sign of the dragon that had raised him.
"Guess it's gonna take a lot more than just meeting another Dragon Slayer to figure it out," Aki sighed as he leaned against a railing. As he did, he picked up sounds moving through the air. Shouting, yelling, and something impacting something else. Along with it, a metallic scent hit his nose.
Leaping over and railing and dashing down the street, the noises got closer as Aki neared, and he went skidding to a stop when something zoomed past his vision and crashed into a stall. Aki's eyes widened when he say Droy slumped over in the wreckage. Jet and Levy crashed to the ground not long after, both still conscious but clearly injured. When something came lunging for them, Aki dashed out, water already streaming at his arms.
"Water Dragon's Lake Shield!" At Aki's call, a dome of water rose around him, Jet, and Levy, the attacking figure slamming into the wall and bouncing back. "What the heck is this?!"
"Aki… get out of here!" Levy said, Jet helping her stand as the water barrier dropped. "That guy… he's with Phantom Lord!"
"Gihehehe, wasn't expecting to run into another Dragon Slayer tonight! All I planned to do was bust up some Fairies!" The figure stepped out from the shadows, revealing a young man with a shaggy mane of black hair, tan, pierced skin, and piercing onyx eyes that bore into Aki as he barred fangs at him, his dark, sleeveless coat fluttering in the night air. "Though can't say I was expecting a brat to show up. Ah well, not much of a difference if you blocked me like that."
"You're one too?!" Aki snapped, the foe chuckling in that same laugh as he rolled a shoulder. "Tch… why are you attacking again huh?! What's Phantom Lord's deal here?"
"Just healthy rivalry is all," The Dragon Slayer cracked his knuckles, Aki gritting his teeth. Droy's state said otherwise.
"Jet, Levy, grab Droy and get away," Aki said, the two Fairy Tail mages gasping. "I can hold him off… for a bit, I hope. Never really fought another mage before… much less a Dragon Slayer."
"Like hell!" Jet objected, "We're not just going to leave a kid behind to fight this guy! You're not even with the Guild!"
"Doesn't mean I can't help you out like this!" Aki countered.
"Done talkin'? Cause I'm done waiting! Iron Dragon's Sword!"
As the Dragon Slayer charged, his right forearm morphed into a metallic, jagged blade. As it came down, Aki jumped back, pushing Jet and Levy out of the way as the sword came down on their former spot. Aki retaliated with a blast of water from his hand, which the man blocked with his sword, then swiping it to bat the following blast away.
"Come on, is some measly blasts the best you got kid?! Ain't you a Dragon Slayer?! At least fight like one!"
"Levy, Jet, now!" Aki shouted, pushing both further away as he ducked under the man's next swipe. "Water Dragon's Riptide Fang!"
As Aki set his right hand flat, water coursed around it before bursting outwards into a blade, the pressurized blade colliding with the iron sword, holding against the jagged edge as Aki pushed back. Taking a glance back, Aki saw that as he'd hoped, Jet and Levy had vanished with the unconscious Droy. Meaning he could at least focus on the enemy in front of him. Jumping back as the man pushed his larger size against Aki, the boy jumped another slash and brought his coated arm down, the man side stepping with a smirk.
"Iron Dragon's Club!" the man's other arm morphed into a large pole of iron, shooting forward and slamming into the descending Aki dead on. The boy yelled as he was sent flying while the pole continued to extend, slamming him into the opposite wall full force. As the pole retracted, the man's arm returning to normal, he chuckled when he saw Aki rising, panting but otherwise unhurt as water slewed off of him, the remains of his Wave Scales evident. "Well well, you've got some defense too huh? Guess water would be troublesome like that."
"It was you…" Aki muttered, "You were the one who wrecked their Guild Hall."
"Damn right it was me!" The man laughed, Aki baring his fangs as anger flared in him. "Figured that would've sent a message, but then their master went and calmed everyone down! So I stuck around, waited it out… decided if wrecking the building wasn't enough, I'd let 'em know we're real serious this time!"
The man dashed forward, his reared back fist coating in iron scales as he closed the gap between him and Aki. "Iron Dragon's Hard Fist!" Aki barely dodged as the fist flew forward, smashing into the stone behind him with barely any resistance. As Aki was pulling away, the man swiped with his still present sword-arm, Aki being missed by a hair as water began to spin around his right arm.
"Water Dragon's Spiral Fist!" The swirl of water around Aki's arm burst as he struck, the man blocking with his steel scale covered arm. The swirling punch connected, jets of water flying through the air as the man was sent skidding back. When he stopped, the man chuckled as he spotted that the scales on his arm had shorn away slightly.
"So you can lay on some damage," The man clenched his fist, the scales that had been damaged hardening back to their former state in an instant. "But ya' just don't have the juice to make it last. Still, that does take something… but you're way behind, brat!"
As the man moved to strike again, he was stopped when a sudden whirl hit the air. To Aki's shock, Jet had returned, having thrown a kick at the man at full speed. But, perhaps unsurprisingly, the result was nothing at all, and Jet was grabbed by his leg and slammed into the ground, barely getting more than a scream in as his back slammed into the pavement.
"You came back?" The attacking man laughed, "Gihehehe! You're a ballsy one! Shame it didn't help! Hey brat, catch!"
Aki's eyes widened as the man kicked Jet in the chest full force, sending him flying towards Aki like a sack. Aki barely caught Jet, tumbling to the ground as he was sent backwards again.
"What the hell?!" Aki shouted, Jet coughing as the boy sat him up, "I said to run! Why did you come back?!"
"'Cause… like I said, we weren't gonna leave a kid to fight for us," Jet coughed, trying to stand again, even as he clutched at his chest. "It's our job… to protect the people who ain't in the guild, Dragon Slayer or no! We're goddamn… Fairy Tail wizards after all!"
"Knuckle Plant!"
With another yell from the side, seeds scattered around the feet of the Phantom Lord mage, rapidly sprouting into vines bearing clenched fists. But, without even a chance to impact, the vines were cut to ribbons as the man reformed the sword on his arm. Eyes turned to see Droy leaning against the corner of the intersection, Levy supporting him as his arm dropped.
"Sorry kid… but we can't leave well enough alone," Droy chuckled, giving Aki a thumbs up.
"Aki, here! Solid Script: Water!" Levy swiped one of her arms out, the word water appearing in the air and quickly forming into the element itself. Catching on, Aki opened his mouth as the water flew towards him, quickly consuming it as it neared him. "If you're going to fight this guy, then we're helping!"
"Ah how cute, the Fairies wanna help the brat," The enemy Dragon Slayer laughed as his eyes scanned the four in front of him. When Jet shot towards him with a burst of speed, his scale coated arm shot out, grabbing the young man by the face in an instant. "Not gonna work twice dumbass!"
And using Jet's own momentum against him, the man swung around and slammed Jet into the wall behind him. Droy and Levy yelled as Jet pitched back, his eyes rolling back as he slumped to the ground. Aki snarled, shooting forward as water formed blades around both of his arms, lunging for the metal wielding man. The man chuckled as Aki swiped at him with those blades, the slashes leaving gouges in and the ground and walls of the street, the blades being dodged or deflected by the man's own sword arm. When Aki's twin swings ended, the man spotted an opening, throwing a leg forward as it turned into a metal club, slamming into Aki's gut and sending the boy rolling across the road.
"Just sit down for a minute, brat. I gotta finish what I came here to do first," The man smirked as he turned to Droy and Levy. Droy threw more seeds out, only to be slammed by a rapidly thrown out iron pole, being slammed into the opposite wall, once more slumping over, and this time clearly unconscious like the downed Jet. Levy began to back away as the man stalked towards her, then steeling her expression as she swiped an arm.
"Solid Script: Fire!" a swipe sent a burning word right towards the man, and while the blast of flame connected, he merely kept striding forward. As the flames flicked away, it was clear now his entire body had become coated in metal scales, and he chuckled while rolling his neck. "W-What the…?"
"Ah cute, ya thought you could burn me! Sorry, but…" The man's hand shot out, grabbing Levy by the neck and lifting her up. "Gonna need something as hot as dragon fire to burn these scales! Now go down like the rest of your pals!"
The man's free hand flew forward as a fist, but instead of hitting Levy, he instead found the first colliding with a barrier of water. Aki had appeared between him and Levy, receiving the blow intended for her sternum as a fresh coating of water scales surrounded him. With a quick move of his shoulder, a jet of water shot from Aki's arm and slammed the man's arm holding up Levy. His grip slacked just enough for Levy to drop free, the girl coughing as she could breathe again.
"Heh, you're stubborn! I'm starting to like you!" The Dragon Slayer chuckled as he stared down at Aki, the boy returning the nigh psychotic smirk with a resolute look. "At least you're putting up a fight!"
"A-Aki…" Levy coughed, holding her throat. "Please… just go!"
"No way!" Aki growled, his fists clenching. "I'm not leaving you three so this guy can use you for whatever game Phantom Lord is playing. Besides, I owe you three… you showed me around town and were friendly with me despite deciding not to join yet. So even if I'm not, let me at least protect my new friends!"
"Ah isn't that adorable!? Gihehehehe! The little dragon is talkin' like the Fairies now!" The Phantom Lord mage cackled as Aki fell into a fighting stance. "Alright then, brat! You want to protect these three?! Then bring it on! Dragon to Dragon! Let's see if your water stands a chance against iron! 'Cause now I won't hold back on ya' for being a brat!"
Aki jumped back and grabbed Levy as the man threw a punch at him. Aki's eyes widened as the air itself blew away from the force of the punch, leaving a crater in the opposite wall. Setting Levy down before the man could charge again, Aki shot back in with water spiraling around his fist again as the man struck. Both of their fists collided, the air pressure of the blows sending both skidding back, and Aki yelled as pain shot up his arm, blood flying from his knuckles as he stumbled backwards.
"What, those water scales not able to hold up against me now?!" The iron Dragon Slayer smirked as Aki clenched his injured hand back into a fist. The man showed that at the very least, Aki's own blow had left the metal of his own knuckles sheered down a bit. "Though not like you didn't do something. How'd a kid like you get strong enough to actually damage my Iron Scales, huh? Heh… not that it really matters, since you're losing tonight."
"Don't… be so cocky…" Aki muttered. When the man charged again, Aki let a breath flow from his lungs as water swirled around his arms. And as the next punch sailed towards him, Aki lifted his opened hands upwards. "Water Dragon's Flowing Current!"
As the man struck, Aki's hands, following the flow of water surrounding his foe's arm, shot forward as jets of water shot from them, slamming into the man's chest several times. But, Aki found himself wincing in pain again with the blows he struck, his hands buzzing in pain as his foe barely budged backwards, even despite the damage done to his scales.
"Too bad!" With a quick throw of his elbow, Aki was slammed right in the head before he could throw out another counter. The sharp blow combined with the iron scales left Aki's head ringing as he stumbled to the side, before another quick blow to the sternum buckled him over the man's arm. Aki hacked out a mix of bile and blood, the remnants of his Wave Scales sloughing off as the man lifted him up.
"Not… done…" But before he could be thrown off, Aki grabbed the man's forearm, looking at him with a furious snarl on his face. "I'm not… done yet!"
"Nah… I think ya' are!" The man swung his arm around, wheeling Aki through the air as his fist turned into a metal pole, extending with Aki still on it and ramming the boy into a wall again. As the pole retracted, Aki stumbled forward, only to pitch forward and collapse to the ground.
"Aki!" Levy yelled, only to find the Phantom Lord mage stepping between her and the boy as she tried to move towards him. "O-Out of the way, bastard!"
"Nah… I think I'm about to wrap things up here. Gihehehe… wonder how your master is gonna feel about the brat ending up a mess too!"
As Aki's vision began to darken, the last thing he saw as the man bearing down on Levy, and the girl's quickly cut off scream as she was struck. A boot fell into Aki's vision, but that was already going as the man leaned down before him.
"Ya still conscious enough, brat? Gihehe… remember the name of the guy who kicked your ass, little dragon: Gajeel Redfox. Feel free to try again when ya' wake up! Or not! Gihehehe!"
Gajeel? Aki could barely even process hearing that name as even his hearing began to fade away. And before the thought could even occur, the boy's consciousness finally slipped away from him, the world becoming nothing but silent darkness.
When consciousness finally began to return to Aki, the first thing he felt was just sheer, all encompassing pain across his body. Every inch felt like it was left with a dull burn, and whatever was shaking him wasn't helping it ease up. As light began to creep back to his blurry vision, he could barely make out that it was daytime. And as his hearing began to return, panicked yelling became clearer.
"… ki! Hey, kid! Aki! Hey! You awake!?"
"Natsu, stop shaking him so much! Look at him!"
"Na… tsu?" Aki mumbled the name as his vision began to clear, revealing Natsu and Lucy in front of him. The former had his hands on Aki's shoulders, and the boy suddenly began to hack from the pain wracking his chest.
"Aki, what happened?!" Lucy gasped, putting a hand to boy's back as the coughing slowed down. "It was Phantom, right?! What happened to Levy!"
"Levy…?" Aki's eyes fluttered. And then, as his dulled mind cleared, the memories of last night began to slip back into clarity. "We were… they were being attacked… by a Phantom Lord mage…"
"Bastards!" Natsu cursed as he looked to the side. "Who did it?! Tell me which bastard hurt them and you!"
"A… Dragon Slayer…" Aki muttered, being hit by a sudden bout of coughing again. "Named… Gajeel."
"A… Dragon Slayer?" Natsu repeated, Aki barely able to nod. "So that was who… alright then. I'm getting payback!"
"Natsu, leave the boy be," Aki looked up as Makarov approached. And by aura alone, Aki could tell the man was furious. "Aki… I'm sorry. I said I didn't want you dragged into this event, and yet you were anyway. But… you chose to fight alongside my children when they were attacked. I must thank you, even if you didn't succeed."
"I'm… sorry… I tried…" Aki couldn't stop the tears that came to his eyes, and Makarov put a gentle hand to the boy's shoulder. "I'm… sorry…"
"Save your tears for after we win, Aki," Makarov stated. "I won't let Phantom Lord go after harming my children, even less after harming a boy who tried his hardest to help them. That much I promise you. So, rest up for a bit. Alright?"
"Yes," Aki's head slouched as he failed to stop the tears from falling from his eyes, Makarov patting the boy on the head as he fought against his own sobs and the throbbing pain he felt. This is what it feels like… this is what it feels like to fail. It hurts… it hurts even more than my body does. I wasn't strong enough… dammit… dammit! The boy's pained sobs turned into a yell of frustration as Makarov spoke to the crowd beyond them.
All Aki could think about at that moment was the anger and frustration towards himself at his inability to do more.