Chapter 9
"Rumors said that a serial killer has surfaced in the city!" Najenda informed. "And the number of his victims is increasing day by day!"
"A serial killer?" Gajeel wondered. "Another fucking politician who wants to traffic in organs with his victims?"
"No!" Replied Najenda, with a file in hand. "This is a report that vice-captain Tero gave us! Inside is all the information he was able to gather on the attack of three soldiers of the Imperial Army! Each one had his head cut off, and each beheading was done in a single cut. "
"Zank, the executioner!" understood Lubbock.
"Who?" Asked Tatsumi.
"Zank, the executioner!" Repeated Mine. "Originally, he was a guy who worked in one of the biggest prisons of the empire, as an executioner! Because of the prime minister, many people were executed there! Day after day, Zank did nothing but kill, again and again until he went mad!"
"What do you mean, mad?" Wanted to know Natsu.
"'Crazy' for the sense that he began to feel pleasure in what he was doing! In fact, he became addicted to murder! He couldn't live without it!"
"And he still does.'' Bulat said, thinkingly. "Nevertheless, killing people kneeling at his feet was no longer enough for him! From now on, he wants to turn all this into a more stimulating hunt in his eyes! However, I didn't think he would go all the way to the capital to satisfy his thirst for blood."
"So, our next mission is to kill this guy." Gajeel understood. "I wonder what he's up to."
"Not so fast." Najenda replied. "This guy is different from the others people you've already seen ! Yes, in fact, Zank has a teigu."
Gajeel stopped smiling and got serious.
"What kind of teigu?"
"The kind that can easily neutralize you and give him enough time to kill each one of you." The boss assured him, looking more than serious. "Unfortunately, I don't know more."
"Natsu!" Called him Happy while the duo was looking down on the neighborhoods around them from a rooftop. "Do you think Najenda was serious when she said that Zank's power could kill us?"
"She's like Erza!" Said Natsu. "If she's panicking about something, then we have to watch out! What's more, this Zank must be someone powerful."
"What do you mean?"
"Compared to the other scum in this town, no one protects him and there's already a price on his head! And yet, nobody can find him and stop him! And for those unlucky enough to cross his path, they find themselves beheaded! Yes, we're going to have to pull out all the stops, if you ask me!"
Smelling the air, he ends up seeing dozens of guards running around the neighborhoods, getting into formation.
"Well, for once, it looks like we have the same enemy!" Remarked Happy.
Hearing Natsu still sniffing the air, he questioned him.
"Have you caught a cold?"
"No, I can smell blood." Natsu replied.
Hearing this, Happy hurriedly put his mask over his face before carrying Natsu up in the air.
"Let's go, due south!"
Flying this way, for a few seconds, the duo finally flew over a neighborhood where the bodies of a couple could be seen, decapitated. Seeing them, Natsu's teeth began to grind in anger, while the wizard roared.
"Zank!"
"The blood continues to flow out of their bodies!" Remarked Happy. "So, this was done not long ago."
"Yep, he's around here." Natsu assured, finally putting a foot on the floor. "From now on, we have to be careful!"
"And it's you who dares to say that?" Declared a voice, half-amused, half-grunted.
Freezing at that moment, Natsu and Happy thought they were victims of a hallucination. However, finally turning around, the two friends could see a familiar face in front of them.
"Honestly, Natsu, you're a pity to see." Grey assured, with a small smile. "Knowing you, you should have already caught this guy! Oh dear, without me, you really can't do anything."
"G... Grey?" Natsu wondered, still in shock to see him here.
"In the flesh! I had to come and give you my help."
"And he's not the only one, Natsu!" Said Erza's voice, as she showed herself. "Whatever happens, we'll always be here to help you."
"Erza?"
"That's how Fairy Tail acts." Juvia assured, sticking to Grey.
"Let's act like men and go stop this guy." Elfman suggested, cracking his knuckles.
"And then we can party and drink like barrels." Assured Cana, already with a bottle of whiskey in her hand.
"Friends?" Natsu wondered, seeing them arrive one after the other.
"Natsu!" Then called him a female voice behind his back.
Turning round, the boy saw Lucy smiling at him, and reaching out to him.
"Let us do all we can to stop this monster."
Running towards her Natsu cried out.
"Lucy!"
"We're all here!" She said, pretending to want to hold him close to her. "You're not alone anymore! "
Yet, despite his reunion with his friends, Natsu's eyes showed only anger as his arm flared up.
"FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!"
Trying to hit Lucy, he saw her block his fist using two daggers that she crossed to form a shield. Nevertheless, the power of the attack eventually pushed her back, dragging her feet on ten meters. With a displeased look on her face, Lucy suddenly shook her arm, and this made each appearance disappear, until she was the only one left.
"An illusion?" said Happy.
"Who are you?" Natsu roared.
"Zank!" Assured Lucy, with a sadistic look, while changing her appearance.
Now seeing a man standing in front of him, Natsu questioned him.
"Zank? Are you the Zank who has fun cutting people's heads off?"
"In person! But I would like to know who you are too! How did you understand that all this was just an illusion?"
"None of my friends had the slightest smell!" Natsu informed him. "Lucy had one but it wasn't hers, it was yours!"
"Oh, did smell help you? Decidedly, I'm learning a lot lately! Already yesterday, that wind manipulator almost managed to reach me."
"Wind manipulator?" Natsu wondered. "Wait, have you met Wendy?"
"Wendy?" Repeated the man, digging into his memory. "Well, now that you mention it, it could well be that the other girl who accompanied her pronounced that name."
"What did you do to her? " Questioned Happy.
"Me? Oh, I seem to have suddenly lost my memory! Perhaps I spared it! Or maybe I just killed her."
"Rubbish!" Natsu roared as he ran at him. "FIRE DRAGON'S WING!"
Keeping his smile on his face, Zank did a simple backward pirouette to avoid the attack, before counterattacking, running at Natsu, dagger in hand. Seeing one of them about to slit his throat, Natsu placed both hands to the sides, before closing them to block him.
"Interesting!" Zank said, as he exerted more force to loosen the weapon. "Not many people are capable of doing what you just did!"
Yet he lost his smile as he felt his dagger heat up before he began to melt.
"What?"
Bringing flames out of his whole body, Natsu said.
"You'll pay for playing with my emotions! I'm going to turn you into a smoked ham."
Immediately dropping his weapon, Zank retreated in time while his dagger turned into molten metal.
"How did he do it ? Is this the power of a teigu?"
Concentrating then, Zank began to read Natsu's thoughts again. The first time, he had done it only to find something that would attract the magician's attention. Now he used his power to know his entire past.
Discovering surprise after surprise, Zank finally opened his eyes and muttered.
"Fairy Tail?"
"Huh?" Natsu wondered.
"Fairy Tail! Igneel! Makarof! Magnolia! Now I know everything about your past! And if I understood everything correctly, you're not from this dimension."
"How do you know that?"
"Thanks to my teigu." Zank assured, pointing to it. "I can read people's thoughts with it! But you...! Good thing I can still read your actual thoughts, otherwise I'd immediately think that my teigu was broken."
"Cobra was doing the same thing!" Remarked Happy. "Natsu, just get your roar done! The one who helped you beat him."
"No, it wouldn't do any good!" Natsu replied. "Cobra had very sensitive hearing, so deafening noises were his weak point! But for this guy, it's something else we need! We have to destroy his teigu!"
"It's no use trying to find something." Zank replied. "I can read your every move in advance! What's more, I would like to thank you."
"Why?"
"Thanks to you, I know the hideout of Night Raid!" Zank assured. "So, I could give myself a heartbeat to slaughter them all! Not to mention that I can't wait to see what someone from somewhere else is capable of."
"Don't even count on it!" Natsu replied. "A guy like you doesn't deserve clemency! I'll get rid of you right now! Besides, if you could concentrate on the battle instead of talking, that would be fine with me!"
"Oh, does my voice bother you? I'm sorry about that! Talking is one of my hobbies after all! And the others are killing and seeing people's faces in their final moments!"
"SHUT UP! " Natsu ordered him, rushing at him. "FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!"
Simply tilting his head to the side, Zank dodged his punch without the slightest harm while saying.
"No need, I can predict your every move."
Seeing Natsu's face turn towards his own, he distinguished the cheeks of his opponents swelling. Spitting out a torrent of flames, Natsu thought he could get him for sure with the little distance between them.
However, Zank crouched down in time and felt only a stream of warm air as Natsu's flames flew over his head.
"Useless!" He repeated, stretching out his legs.
Making a beautiful sweeping motion, he made Natsu lose his balance and fall backwards. Taking advantage of this moment of weakness, Zank jumped over the wizard, dagger forward.
"This is the end for you, Salamander!"
"Natsu!" Shouted Happy, pretending to fly to his rescue.
"No, Happy! Stop!" Natsu ordered him.
Suddenly, to Zank's surprise, he managed to grab the blade of his dagger, on one hand, while his other hand grabbed his arm.
" What ? " Zank wondered, seeing Natsu's hand start to bleed ! " Have you gone mad ? "
Smiling despite the pain, Natsu squeezed Zank's arm more.
"It doesn't matter because, now, I have you. "
And unable to avoid his attacks, Zank felt Natsu's foot hit him on the stomach, causing him to fly in the air. Getting up, Natsu covered his valid hand with flames before jumping straight towards Zank, who fell back to the ground.
" FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST ! "
Hit in the face, Zank was throw against a wall, which collapsed then on him, creating a cloud of dust. Seeing this, Happy tried to make out Zank through the smoke.
"Did you kill him ? "
" No idea ! "
Suddenly a laugh could be heard, followed by a throwing knife. Flying towards Natsu's face, he managed to wedge the blade between two of his fingers. then he covered his arm with flames before hitting other knives which were thrown at him.
"Give up Zank ! It's useless !"
"Never ! " Retorted Zank, taking pleasure in targeting him." I want to see the color of your blood."
"You will not kill anyone ! " Retorted Natsu, walking towards him, while deflecting his daggers.
"Oh ? " Zand wondered, before suddenly throwing a knife in a different direction. "Not even an animal ? "
Suddenly widening his gaze, Natsu could barely follow the knife with his eyes, before it found its target. Trying to fly, Happy reacts too late, while the blade of the dagger pierced his stomach.
Stopping then, Happy opened his mouth, just to let some blood out.
"HAPPY!" Natsu shouted, catching his friend in midair. "Are you alright? Answer!"
Barely breathing, Happy's eyes had no pupil left. Still spitting blood, while his wound had touched his organs, the overhang was ready to die at any moment.
"HAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPPPYYYYYYYY!" Natsu screamed, starting to sob. "What are you doing to me here? Open your eyes! Answer damn it! You can't let go of me! We still have a lot of stuff to do! Tomorrow, we'll go fishing if you want."
No reaction from his friend.
"Then we'll go to a fishmonger." Natsu continued, unable to stop crying. "Then we'll eat whatever you want."
Still nothing.
"And then we'll take a nap like you like, before we practice, as usual! So, don't die!"
Happy raised his paw in the air, and then raised two fingers, and suddenly made the sign of Fairy Tail.
"Nat... su!"
"Happy! You..."
"Thank you... for being my friend."
Coughing up blood again, the overflow collapsed for good.
"No! Happy!"
"Hey, kid! What the hell are you doing to us?" Zank asked. "Are we fighting or not? Don't tell me losing your stupid cat puts you in this state."
Grimacing in this state, he felt a huge heat source appearing all around the area, while it was coming from Natsu's body.
"What...?"
Shouting in rage, Natsu was bringing out all his energy and an aura of fire enveloped him so much that his body temperature was hot. And to top it all off, lightning appeared here and there to mix with his flames. And as his skin began to cover itself with scales, Natsu said.
"I... I'm going... for Happy... for all those people you killed! I'm going to slaughter you!"
As he spoke, a column of fire and lightning shot out of his body and into the air, which could be seen for miles around.
"But that's...!" Leone began.
"Natsu!" Bulat understood.
"He's in trouble!" Tatsumi noted, running immediately towards the attack.